What Does a Good Care Home Really Mean? 7 Criteria Families Don't Know When Searching

What does a truly good care home look like? 7 criteria families don't know when searching

When the time comes to find a care centre for a parent or grandparent, most of us don't know where to begin. Here's what really matters — and what to avoid.

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Finding the right care home is one of the most difficult and unexpected challenges a family can face. Nobody prepares us for it. There's no manual. And more often than not, we find ourselves making this decision in a rush — after a fall, a diagnosis, a period of illness — when we're already emotionally exhausted.

The most common mistake? Choosing based on price or the first appealing photograph online. But a care home for seniors is far more than a clean room. Here are 7 genuine criteria, recommended by geriatric specialists, that make the difference between a place where old age is merely endured and one where it is truly lived.

1. The staff-to-resident ratio

The first thing to ask is not the price, but how many staff members are on shift per night for how many residents. An acceptable ratio in quality private centres is 1 carer to 4–6 residents during the day and 1 to 8–10 at night. Below this threshold, individual care becomes impossible, regardless of how impressive the building looks.

2. A doctor on site — not merely „access to a doctor"

Many care home operators claim to have „access to medical services". This can simply mean there's an on-call doctor 30 km away. What matters is having a qualified doctor or medical professional present on the premises around the clock. Premium centres, such as AsertivO care home in Otopeni, have in-house medical teams including a geriatrician, nurses and specialist carers available 24/7 — not merely on call.

3. A genuine activities programme, not a token one

Daily activities are not a luxury — they are medicine. Research shows that seniors who actively participate in social and cognitive activities have a 40% lower risk of developing dementia. Ask whether there is a daily activities schedule: occupational therapy, music, art, gardening, physical exercise. And find out whether the programme is actually followed or exists only on paper.

A senior who paints, gardens or plays board games is not simply a senior who is „kept busy". They are a senior whose brain is receiving the stimulation it needs to stay healthy.

4. Food — an indicator of quality, not just comfort

Proper nutrition in older adults is a medical matter, not merely a culinary one. A serious care home has a nutritionist involved in planning menus, food cooked fresh daily in an on-site kitchen (not delivered by a catering company), and meals adapted individually for residents with diabetes, heart conditions or swallowing difficulties. Ask whether you can dine there once before signing the contract.

5. Physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation

A centre that offers medical rehabilitation for seniors makes the difference between a resident who is bedridden within six months and one who is walking through the garden after a year. Check whether there is an in-house physiotherapist with a properly equipped therapy room and an individual programme — not just an abandoned fitness room in the basement.

6. Visiting policy and transparency with families

A quality care home has no reason to restrict visits or create barriers to communication with families. On the contrary — it should encourage you to come at any time, provide regular updates on residents' condition, and involve family members in the care plan. If someone becomes visibly uncomfortable during your visit or guides you along a carefully managed route, treat that as a warning sign.

7. Accreditation and operating licence

In Romania, residential centres for seniors must be licensed by the Ministry of Labour (social service code 8730 CR-V-I). This licence is not optional — centres operating without one are doing so illegally and have not been inspected by any authority. You can verify any centre against the ministry's official public records. AsertivO, for example, is accredited and operated by Senior Center S.R.L., with a valid licence renewed in 2025.

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AsertivO — a standard built on these principles

Founded in 2015 by Andra Marinescu — following her own unsuccessful search for a suitable centre for a loved one — AsertivO care home in Otopeni was built on a simple conviction: care for older adults can and must be delivered to a far higher standard than what existed in Romania at the time.

The centre, located at the entrance to Otopeni (just minutes from Bucharest), operates as a 4-star hotel adapted to the needs of seniors: 146 places, two lifts, en-suite rooms, a physiotherapy room, in-house medical consulting rooms, a garden, a premium restaurant, an activities room, and even hairdressing and styling services for residents. The medical team includes a geriatrician, an internist or GP, with 24/7 supervision.

The centre's philosophy is built around the concept of a permanent holiday — because leaving one's home environment should be a positive change, not a loss. At the end of 2025, AsertivO became one of two founding pillars of the national platform Echo Elderly Care, alongside Maria Theresia Sibiu, with the goal of extending this standard across the country.

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📍 Calea Bucureștilor nr. 11A, Otopeni, Ilfov | 📞 0770 29 29 29 | ✉️ contact@asertivo.ro