When looking for day care, start by asking yourself what services you want or need the most. Consider whether social activities and exercise are your main priority, or if you need help with walking, eating or medication.
Arrange a visit or trial day
Before deciding on a specific day centre, spend some time there so you can get to know the staff and environment. Talk to other people and ask for their opinions. You might want to try out a few different centres or homes before making a final decision.
Think about whether the services and costs are properly explained, the building is clean and accessible and the furniture is comfortable. Do you feel welcome, are the staff friendly, and do people seem comfortable?
Ask lots of questions
When you visit a day centre, ask lots of questions to find out whether it is the right one for you. For example, find out
- how long it has been operating
- the days and hours of operation
- whether transport is provided to and from the centre
- which conditions are accepted (such as memory loss, limited mobility and incontinence)
- the staff's credentials and ratio of staff to participants
- what activities are offered and whether there are a variety of individual and group programmes
- whether meals and snacks are included and if special diets are catered for.
Complaining about a day care centre
If you have a complaint about one of our day care centres, please contact our complaints team (below) who will be happy to help.
If you have a complaint about an independent day care centre, the first thing you should do is tell the manager, or another senior staff member. You might want to ask a friend or relative, a voluntary organisation like the Citizens Advice Bureau or a charity to help make your complaint.
If you're unsatisfied with the way the centre deals with your complaint, you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). In most cases they will only consider a complaint once the agency has been given the opportunity to deal with the situation. It's a free service and the LGO's job is to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way.
How day care is monitored
East Sussex County Council day centres, which are for people who have been assessed as needing our support, are closely monitored against the following standards:
- providing a high-quality service, with an individual service plan to meet your needs;
- involving you and, if you wish, your family or carer in decisions about your care;
- working with other professional and voluntary organisations to provide care; and
- respecting your dignity and rights and allowing for individual differences.
Day care centres are not currently monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), but this is currently under review.
However, some residential care homes – which by law must be registered with the CQC – offer temporary day care services, and you can search for published reports on these homes:
East Sussex County Council