Choosing an aged care home can feel overwhelming. There can be a lot to take in during a tour, and knowing what to look for or what questions to ask isn’t always easy.
Grace Castro, General Manager at Regis Inala Lodge in Victoria, understands the experience from both sides. She works with older Australians and their families every day and has also experienced the process first-hand, supporting her own mum’s move into aged care.
Grace’s advice is to use a tour to look beyond first impressions and think about what everyday life could really be like for you or your loved one.
Before you visit, think about what matters
Before touring a home, take some time to think about what is most important to you or your loved one.
That will be different for everyone. Food and dining might be important to someone who has always enjoyed sharing meals. Someone else may want plenty of activities and opportunities to socialise, while access to clinical care, allied health services or staying close to family may be a priority for others.
Think about routines, interests and preferences too. Knowing what matters most will give you something meaningful to look for and ask about during the tour.
Look beyond the building
It can be easy to focus on the physical environment when you first walk into an aged care home, but Grace recommends taking in much more than how the building looks.
“It’s more than sight. I think you use all your senses when you go into a home,” Grace said.
Pay attention to what you can see, hear, smell and even taste as you move through the home.
Notice the atmosphere in shared spaces, what other residents are doing and whether the environment feels comfortable and welcoming. Taste the meals on offer. These everyday details can help you understand what living there might actually feel like.
Picture an ordinary day
As you walk through a home, try to imagine you or your loved one living there. Think beyond the tour itself and picture what an ordinary Tuesday might look like.
“Think about what’s important to you or your loved one. What would you want each day to look like? Where would you spend your time? What would you enjoy doing? Those are the things to consider as you walk through a home.”
If gardening is important to you or your loved one, ask how it could continue. If socialising matters, look at where residents come together and what opportunities there are to connect with others. If food, exercise or a particular routine is a priority, ask how it could become part of everyday life.
The goal is to leave the tour with an idea of how you or your loved one might live there, not simply what facilities and services are available.
Pay attention to the people
A tour is also an opportunity to see how people interact when going about their day.
“You look at the faces of the employees, you look for smiles, you look for genuine connection. What you’re looking for is that engagement. It’s all about the residents, that dignity, respect, that choice.”
Notice how employees speak with residents and how residents respond. The small, everyday interactions happening around you can tell you a lot about the culture of a home.
For Grace, this was especially important when choosing care for her own mum. She wanted to feel confident that when she left, her mum was with people who genuinely cared for her.
Ask questions that are specific to you or your loved one
There isn’t one list of questions that will be right for every family.
Instead, base your questions on your needs or those of your loved one. If there is a particular dietary preference, ask how it would be accommodated. If an established routine is important, ask whether it could continue. If visits from family and friends matter, ask how they can remain part of life in the home.
The more specific your questions are, the easier it can be to picture whether the home will suit you or your loved one.
Take your time
You don’t have to rely on one first impression. Where possible, consider visiting again or seeing the home at a different time of day.
There is no single feature that makes an aged care home the right choice for everyone. A tour is an opportunity to look beyond the building and understand the people, atmosphere and everyday life of a home.
Most importantly, keep your needs and preferences—or those of your loved one—at the centre of the decision.
