Senior Living
2009-04-01 14:39:00
Picking a nursing home for loved one
Question: How do I pick a nursing home for my loved one?
Answer: Picking a nursing home for a family member is both a daunting and emotional task to say the least.
First, you have to admit that your family member needs more help than you can provide. This in itself is often one of the biggest hurdles to placing a loved one in a nursing home. The important thing here is to remember that placing someone in the nursing home doesn’t mean you have failed as a caregiver. What it does mean is that you care enough to get them the help that they need. Talk to anyone who works in a nursing home and they will tell you that it’s hard some days even with a team of people.
So you’ve made the decision. Now it’s time to decide where. How do you go about narrowing your choices? A good place to start is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website at www.cms.gov. This website will allow you to compare the ratings of all the nursing homes in a designated area and allow you to get the basic facts about each facility. Keep in mind though that this information will only give you part of what you need to make your decision and may not reflect the current level of care provided by that facility. However, no amount of information can replace the need for a visit to the facility.
Location is always a major consideration. Something close is usually preferred, but is not always available. Each facility tends to have its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the type of resident they can provide the best quality of care for. Next, plan on taking a tour of the facility. Whether you drop by or make an appointment, it doesn’t really matter that much because the things you want to look for can’t really be hidden. Smell is always one of the first things visitors will notice. Does it smell like urine or feces? What time of day is it? I can almost guarantee that no matter how good the home is there are certain times of day that there will be smells.
Here are some other things to look for. Does the staff look happy? Is the place clean? Are they friendly? Can the facility meet the needs of your loved one or do they take anyone so they can just fill the beds? Ask questions. And not just to the person giving the tour. Here is a biggie. Don’t base your judgment on the looks of the building. The quality of care provided to your family member has nothing to do with the esthetics of the building. The quality of care comes from the people who work there. And that folks is what it comes down to. Does the staff of the facility see their position as a job or a calling? The bottom line is this, listen to your gut. Find a place where the staff has a passion for what they do and you will have found the right place.
