Care homes for the elderly: how to choose and compare prices
Care home, old-age home or medical facility
Deciding to place a loved one in care is hard, and it is very important to understand how the places differ. Some care homes offer a room, meals and supervision for people who are independent or have limited mobility. Others give round-the-clock care for bedridden residents, with nurses and rehabilitation. Dementia care units are a separate thing again.
What your loved one needs is best asked of a doctor: health, mobility and any need for injections or a special diet must be described honestly. Otherwise a home may promise care it cannot give.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of phoning dozens of homes, you write one request: the person's condition, the area, your monthly budget and how long the place is needed. Care homes reply in chat with offers: what the price covers, what care they give, living conditions, photos. They can see how their offer compares with others, so terms often improve. Your phone number stays hidden until you choose a home.
What to put in your request
- Health — bedridden, after a stroke, dementia, walks with a walker.
- Level of care — round-the-clock, medical supervision, rehabilitation.
- City or area — where the home should be so that visiting is easy.
- Monthly budget — for example, up to $670 a month.
- Duration — temporary after a hospital stay or permanent, and from what date.
- Age and gender — for example, a woman, 82 years old.
- Accommodation — single or shared room, facilities.
Example: “I'm looking for a care home near Calgary for my mother, 82, bedridden after a stroke. She needs round-the-clock care and a nurse, in a single room. Permanent, from next week. Budget up to $670 a month.”
What to compare and what to ask
A monthly price without a breakdown explains nothing. Ask what is included: meals (how many, whether a special diet is available), diapers and hygiene items, medicines, laundry, nursing, doctor visits, rehabilitation. Also ask whether the price depends on the level of care and when it can be raised.
Find out how many residents there are per staff member, whether a nurse is on duty at night and how emergencies are handled. Do visit in person, unannounced or at different times, and notice the cleanliness, the smell and the mood of the residents.
The agreement and common mistakes
- Not checking what the agreement says: services, price, how to end it, who is responsible.
- Choosing only by price or nice photos.
- Not checking that the home really takes people in this condition (dementia, bedridden).
- Not agreeing on visiting rules and how residents stay in touch with family.
If the person can still live at home with some help, consider a caregiver. The whole section is child and elderly care. To see how the service works, read How it works.
