Helping a loved one transition to a nursing home will be a challenge, but it is the ultimate gift of love. The right nursing home can provide around-the-clock care and much-needed socialization to help your loved one thrive. That makes picking the nursing home a critical decision.
Is the Facility Accredited?
The goal for every nursing home is to match the standards of care and regulations established by the state and federal government. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is a non-profit organization that inspects, accredits, and certifies nursing homes across the state. Medicare also plays a crucial role in holding nursing homes accountable. It will only accept payments from those facilities that comply with the regulations.
You should be able to access and review the latest inspection reports as part of your tour.
What Are the Visitation Policies?
The nursing home you pick for your loved one should encourage visiting. That policy should be in writing and open-door. You want to be able to see your loved one whenever you want.
What Are the Facility’s Security and Safety Protocols?
A nursing home needs to be safe and secure for its residents. It would help if you had a thorough understanding of all the security and safety protocols for the facility. For instance, does it provide its own hospital transportation? On the other hand, how long does it take for an ambulance to respond to an emergency call? You should also know about staff vaccinations and their guidelines for curbing the spread of infections.
You should also know about the facility’s security and how many staff members are dedicated to security tasks such as surveying the grounds, checking entry points, and conducting general surveillance.
What is the Staff Turnover Rate?
Staff turnover can impact on the level of care that a resident receives. Some turnover is expected. However, if the rates are consistently high, there could be a reason related to management. That should be factored into your decision.
What is the Food Like?
Every nursing home aims to provide flavorful meals that meet the nutritional needs of the residents. You should be able to sample the food for yourself. It would help if you scheduled your tour around mealtimes. That will allow you to taste the food and see how residents are cared for during meals.
What Are the Activities Available for the Residents?
The facility should have a dedicated activities director, a full calendar of daily activities available to the residents, and room to add new activities that your loved one might suggest.
What Are the Preventive Care Policies?
Seniors are susceptible to flu, colds, and other viruses. The risk of acquiring those illnesses can be minimized with vaccinations and rigorous safety protocols. You should be made aware of those policies.
What Are the Fees?
You need to thoroughly understand a nursing home’s fee structure. What exactly does the monthly fee cover? Are there charges for extra amenities, such as cable TV? Are there charges for physical therapy, or is that billed through Medicare? There should be no surprises when you receive a bill.
Make Your Own Observations
In addition to getting answers to those questions, you also need to deploy all of your senses to observe the environment of the nursing home. You want to see if the rooms and bathrooms are clean. You want to listen to see if any calls for assistance are going unanswered. Does the facility smell clean? Are the residents in clean clothes and well-groomed?
Obviously, certain residents will have challenges that make attentive care problematic. However, most residents should be in good spirits and in clean surroundings.
Dealing With Suspected Abuse
After moving your loved one into a vetted facility, there could still be issues with neglect or abuse that crop up. At the first sign of concern, you should reach out to the team at Peterson Law Office. We have years of experience dealing with the complicated nature of investigating nursing home abuse. We understand what to look for and what might be the best course of action for dealing with the situation.
Call for a free consultation to discuss your nursing home concerns today.
