Selecting a Nursing Home
Choosing the right care facility for a senior can be an agonizing and time-consuming task. The following are some simple starting points to consider that should help you find the right home and the appropriate level of care. Keep in mind that a majority of nursing home admissions are short-term in nature and that in some cases you may need to start thinking about planning for going home almost immediately.
Who Can Advise You?
All admissions to a nursing home require a doctor’s order; these are medical facilities, and most admissions follow a hospitalization. Look at it as a continuum of care from more intense to less intense. A doctor and perhaps a social worker or nurse can help you determine the most appropriate level of care required. These healthcare professionals can help narrow the search, but be aware that they are unlikely to get too specific about placement. It may seem frustrating, but regulations constrain them from making direct referrals in order to avoid conflicts of interest.
Where to Get Started
The Senior caregiver nursing home directory can help you narrow the search to geographically appropriate facilities in the United states. From this list check out each facility in more detail by clicking on the name of that facility. If the facility detail is not available, you can call the number listed. This is your opportunity to check out the types of services offered, the costs for staying there, and whether they have space available. You should call a number of facilities in any case to ask questions and to arrange a tour.
Take a Tour
The tour should be your most important tool for selecting a nursing home. Only by being present in a facility can you fairly judge the quality, cleanliness, and friendliness of the institution. Plan to spend some time in the facility. Ask if the facility can arrange for you to eat a meal and attend one of the activities scheduled for that day. If you do your homework, you will make a much better placement decision.
People Make the Difference
Nursing homes are human organizations. Although buildings and equipment will add aesthetic charm and efficiency to the care rendered, the essence of caregiving is in the competence of the staff and their ability to build a productive, cooperative relationship with the client.
Your observations while in the facility should include interactions between the staff and residents.
- Do the residents appear comfortable talking to the staff?
- Does the staff appear attentive and interested in the residents?
- Are call lights being answered promptly?
- Does the building appear cluttered and disorganized?
- Are the residents occupied, or are they sitting idly about the building?
Find out how accessible management staff is. Can you speak to the director of nurses or administrator, or will you have to make an appointment? Is management staff visible or invisible? Do consider what you might reasonably expect at the time of your visit. If you visit at mealtime, for example, you can expect the staff to be preoccupied serving the residents.
Facilities Are Secondary but Still Important
The physical appearance of the building is important but secondary to the quality of staff/resident relationships and quality of nursing/medical care. Some of the best care may be found in an older building with less than up-to-date d�cor, but do look for cleanliness and an organized appearance.
Finally, if unpleasant odors are present at all, they should be transitory and isolated, secondary to the staff doing their jobs in an efficient manner. A large part of what skilled nursing facilities do is care for incontinent residents, and accidents do happen. Generally speaking, however, skilled nursing facilities should be free of odors.
Discovering the “soul” of a facility will take some time but will be well worth your effort, especially if the placement is expected to be long term.
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