Take your time when choosing a care home

When deciding on a care home people should take their time to look around and get a true feel for the centre.

This is the opinion of Gary Fitzgerald, chief executive of Action on Elder Abuse, who is encouraging Britons to do their research and trust their instincts when selecting a care centre or retirement home.

He explained that people should not trust the Care Quality Commission Inspection Report, as they "do not give you an accurate reflection of what's taking place in a care home".

Instead it is important to "go and look for yourself" and do so on numerous occasions at different times of the day.

This way people will be able to see more than just what a care home may want to be seen and will allow Britons to observe how carers interact with inhabitants.

Mr Fitzgerald also advises people against choosing a centre based on the quality of their interiors but instead on how workers manage and interact with older adults and the mood of patients.

"Talk to the residents and staff," he stated, reminding people to trust their instincts.

This advice follows a controversial comment by Dame Judy Dench who criticised some care homes for being inhumane.

Find the nearest Barchester care home.