What to look for:
What should people should look for in selecting a nursing home?
The decision to place someone in a nursing home is always difficult. Bad
publicity makes the choice even more troubling. Here are a few steps to
help you make a good decision:
- Take a tour of the facility, look for evidence of cleanliness and
the absence of odors. Return later to make the same observations
during a different shift.
- Meet the administrator and head nurse. See if one or the other can direct
your tour and ask the staff if they see these management people out of their
offices and active in the building.
- Meet staff working in the therapy areas and ask to observe them working
with residents.
- Find out if there is a residents' council composed of representative
families and those living in the facility and the names of individuals
you might contact.
- Ask how the nursing home was rated during its last state survey and if
there were any deficiencies. To double check, log on to the Medicare
nursing home information web site and follow the directions to find the
names of the homes you are considering.
|
