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Choosing a Nursing Home: Questions to Ask

Work in progress

Questions to ask before and during your search.

Before you start browsing homes, it helps to pause and ask yourself a few key questions. This checklist walks you through the stages most families go through, so you can search with clarity and confidence.

This guide is a work in progress. The questions are ready to use as a checklist, but the answers aren't written yet.

  1. Stage 1: Recognising the Need

    • Have you accepted that a nursing home is the right next step, rather than home care or another option?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know whose decision this is, and is the person involved in making it?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Has a HSE care needs assessment been done, or do you know how to get one?
      [Answer coming soon]
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  2. Stage 2: Understanding the Care Required

    • Do you know what level of care is needed, whether that is personal care, nursing care, or specialist dementia care?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know whether those needs are likely to change, and have you thought about a home that can grow with them?
      [Answer coming soon]
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  3. Stage 3: Sorting Out Funding

    • Do you know about the Fair Deal scheme and whether you qualify?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know what the application process involves and how long it takes?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you understand what costs Fair Deal does not cover?
      [Answer coming soon]

    Read: Fair Deal Explained →

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  4. Stage 4: Knowing What You Want

    • Do you know which area or county you want to search in?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Have you thought about how often family will visit and how far is realistic?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know what amenities matter most to the person moving in?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Have you thought about their daily routine, social preferences, and any cultural, religious, or language needs?
      [Answer coming soon]
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  5. Stage 5: Evaluating Homes

    • Do you know what HIQA is and how to read an inspection report?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know what questions to ask when you visit a home?
      [Answer coming soon]
    • Do you know what to look for in a contract before signing?
      [Answer coming soon]

    Read: How to Read a HIQA Inspection Report →

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