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Senior Living

2011-01-01 10:18:00

How do I select a nursing home?

Answer: Part of the selection process involves determining if the resident and the nursing home fit. In other words, will the needs of the resident be met there? Nursing homes vary widely in their culture and in the services they offer. When searching for a nursing home for a loved one, we always want to find out if the services and the needs meet. We don’t want to just check that they have a comfortable bed and someone to give their medications on time. We also want to know if the wants, as well as the needs will be met. For instance, we regularly admit residents who have Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are person with Alzheimer’s who we recommend to other facilities which are better able to meet that person’s particular needs. While some Alzheimer’s residents progress through their disease easily, others fight it constantly and aggressively. They are combative and inventive in trying to leave the home where they reside. They become a risk both to others and themselves. Some homes are especially equipped to provide quality care for that particular type of resident. For the less aggressive Alzheimer’s resident, our home works very well as it is a calm, quiet, family atmosphere with electronically secured doors, but not the hardened security of a “Locked Unit.” So – the first thing to do is consider what the needs of your loved one are, or are likely to be when you need nursing home living for them. Will they need dementia care? Will they need therapies, such as physical therapy or occupational therapy to help them back up to a prior level of functioning? Perhaps they will need therapies to help them adjust to some of the limitations that age has brought with it. When checking for therapy provisions at a nursing home, it is usually good to determine if they have therapists on-site or if they have traveling therapists who come in at certain times. On-site therapies are of course more dependable. However, I know some traveling therapists who are absolutely wonderful. For the most part however, I would probably opt for on-site therapists if the home is large enough to support them. If possible, check with someone who has experienced the therapies at the home you are considering. Personal experience is always the best. If possible, check with several people so you can get a well-rounded overview of the program. One should also see if the home has an active restorative program. This is a less intensive program with trained restorative aides, to assist residents in maintaining or improving their level of functioning, even though they may not be candidates for the programs run by licensed therapists. Never, place your loved one in home just because someone recommended it, unless you have no other choice. Always visit the home you are considering if possible. First, I would suggest you make an appointment for a guided tour. This way, you will be shown all the features of the home and won’t miss anything. However, if I was considering a home, I probably would go back on my own at another time just to check it out, and I would ask lots of questions. Just make certain you are asking the questions of someone who should know the answers. There are a lot of employees in a nursing home and because so many wear scrubs, it is sometimes hard to tell who does what, without asking. When doing the guided tour, I would ask about mealtimes and what I would have to do to sample the meals the residents eat. Food is such an important part of a resident’s social life and wellness program that I wouldn’t leave it to chance. Check out the menu and find out if the residents have choices in the food they eat or do they just have the required main meal and one alternate. Obviously, the more choices they have the happier they will be. Happy eaters usually eat better and are healthier. And while we’re on the subject of choices, what activities are offered? A wide selection of activities helps the days go by pleasantly and with increased socialization, wellness also statistically improves. Religion also plays a large part in our lives, so you will want to know if spiritual needs will be met for your loved one. If you have questions about how the costs of the nursing home will be met, ask. Most homes will help you with the necessary questions, and some of the answers, so you can plan for the financial needs. Check out whether your primary care physician, will continue to care for your loved one in the nursing home and if they will make visits to the nursing home. Sometimes it is better to change to another physician, who will make nursing home calls if yours won’t. Other times, residents who can, leave the nursing home for visits to their physician. Ask who the Medical Director is, and while you are at it, find out if the home can take Medicare A residents, or if your loved one would have to go somewhere else for skilled care following a hospital stay. It’s always comforting if one can return to the familiarity of their own bed following the stress of hospitalization, rather than having to go somewhere else first. Those facilities who can take Medicare A residents are considered “Skilled” and are able to give a higher level of care than those who are not “skilled.” Of course, I am always ready to help anyone considering nursing home placement for a loved one. It is always a stressful time for families and it helps to have a guide who is sympathetic and familiar with the process.