Nursing homes are a necessary part of end-of-life care for many individuals. They provide care for seniors who are no longer able to receive care in their own homes, but who don’t require the level of care offered by a hospital. Until recently, nursing homes were rigid and institutionalized, more focused on rules and regulations than on quality of life for their residents. Now, culture is changing throughout many nursing homes to one of resident-centered care. They want their residents to feel as though they’re at home, as comfortable as possible in spite of their medical challenges. Knowing what to look for in a nursing home can help you find the one that’s right for your needs.
The Initial Search
When you’re looking for a nursing home, it helps to start with referrals. You may find that others in your community already have plenty of experience with the nursing homes in the area. Listen to what they have to say about those nursing homes and educate yourself as much as possible about the ones in your area that receive positive reviews—as well as the ones that stand out in negative ways. Then, ask yourself these questions:
What are my medical needs going to look like throughout the duration of my stay? If you know that your medical condition will worsen over the next few months or years, you’ll need to take that into consideration. Make sure that the nursing home is equipped with everything you’ll need for your increasing medical challenges.
How close is the nursing home to my loved ones? You want to be sure that your nursing home is easily accessible to the people who mean the most to you so that they can visit often throughout your time there.
Looking Deeper
After you’ve found a nursing home that you think will answer your needs, you can plan a visit to look it over. Talk with the residents, staff, and medical professionals who work with the nursing home if possible. There are several things that you should look for on this visit.
The Facility: Take in the sights and sounds of the nursing home as you walk through, using all of your senses. Do residents sound happy? Is it easily accessible to their family members? What about the food: does it look appetizing? Use all of your senses. While a “medical” smell isn’t uncommon, if the nursing home smells dirty, unclean, or otherwise unpleasant, it might not be the right place for you. Also, look over the amenities offered by the facility. A pleasant seating area for visiting with friends and family, comfortable rooms, and other options will make your stay in the nursing home more pleasant and make you feel like you’re at home. Examine the facility design and the options offered in the rooms. Evaluate the friendly, professional nature of the staff. All of these things will help you develop an accurate view of the facility.
The Residents: Take the opportunity to speak with some of the residents. Get a feel for the overall mood of the nursing home population. Are families visiting cheerfully? Are conversations generally pleasant? Feel free to ask residents what they think of their experience in this nursing home and take the time to talk with a few of them. Do their personalities seem to fit with yours? What about their attitudes? As you talk with the residents, you’ll be able to discern whether or not your personality will mesh with others in the nursing home.
The Nursing Home Quality Report: A look at the quality report will give you a good idea of the overall quality of the home. There will be an overall rating that gives you an idea of what qualified professionals think of the nursing home quality. You’ll get a look at the number of registered nurses on the staff, their health inspection, and other important information. The quality report will also help you assess how the admission process works.
Don’t forget about cost. Ultimately, the cost and payment options available in many nursing homes will determine whether or not they are a viable option for you. The most wonderful nursing home facility in your area still needs to have reasonable payment options. It’s also important to know whether or not your nursing home will work with your existing insurance or Medicaid coverage—which may help pay for your nursing home stay.
Being educated about nursing home care and the options in your area will help you make informed decisions about nursing home care. Planning ahead will prevent you from making unexpected, hasty decisions. You may spend many years in a nursing home. Seeking out the information you need ahead of time will allow you to be comfortable throughout those years.
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