When you are assigned the task of finding a nursing home for a loved one, you may feel overwhelmed. The place that you choose will be responsible for the full-time care of your family member. If you know of anyone who has a loved one in a nursing home, you can ask for recommendations of facilities in the area. Although cost is likely to play a role in your selection process, you should not sacrifice quality.
Step 1
Find nursing homes in your area. Medicare sponsors a Nursing Home Compare website that allows you to locate and make comparisons between nursing home facilities in your area. The tool uses a five-star rating system and judges the facility on health inspections, nursing home staff and quality measures.
Step 2
Steer clear of nursing homes that carry a SFF distinction. This means that chronic problems have been reported about the nursing home and the facility has been placed on the Special Focus Facility Watch List.
Step 3
Visit the nursing home. Ask for a tour and speak to staff members. Check that the facility is clean and sterile. Look at the patients to gauge whether they look well cared for. Ask the staff for references for three to five people that have family members in the nursing home. Find out if background checks are performed on the individuals that the home employs.
Step 4
Review the licensing and certification that the nursing homes contain. They should be certified by Medicare and have state licensing.
Step 5
Check the type of care that they offer patients in the facility. Questions to ask include: Can the patient see his regular physician? Are care plan meetings held on a regular basis with family members? Can the resident keep personal items in his room? What are the visiting hours? What type of meals and activities are planned?
Tips and Warnings
- Physicians and hospital staff can give you recommendations for a nursing home if a patient is being placed in a facility following discharge.
