"I knew the day was coming. But it always seemed like it was
further away than today. I've made up my mind and have decided
on my new, future home. I'm glad I followed all of those tips
that I saved from that article I read. I've made a good choice."
The above is a fictionalized account of an event that occurs
everyday. Isn't this the conversation you want your loved one
to have on the day they move into their new home? Will this be
the way it sounds? It will be if you plan ahead, make informed
choices and follow a few easy tips.
Finding a good nursing home for your loved one is not much different than finding one for yourself. As a matter of fact,
the conversation you just read, might just be you talking to
yourself one day. While there are probably many steps to the
search, the first step might be to look for a future nursing
home like you were going to move there. Be selfish. Think about
yourself and the things you would choose about a home. It will
prepare you for when it comes time to choose a home for those
closest to you; who can no longer care for themselves.
Depending upon when you need to make the choice, get as much
information as you can, as soon as you can. You are reading
this article. This is another step to the search. The choice
you make is not only important for your loved one, but for
yourself. Look at everything as if you were choosing for
yourself. Your happiness has to be considered too.
Here are seven sources of where to find an ideal home. You
might think of others:
1. Your loved one's friends
2. Your loved one's doctor
3. Agencies in your area that care for the aging
4. The Internet
5. Social workers or staff at your local hospital
6. Magazine or newspaper ads
7. The local long-term care ombudsman. This individual is as
an advocate for residents of any adult care facility. They
visit homes on a regular basis, and since they do, they're
able to observe the conditions of a particular location,
and the care the residents receive. To find one in the U.S.,
call 1-800-677-1116. (This is the Administration on Aging's
Eldercare Locator. Ask for the local ombudsman program.)
Your loved one's friends are probably the best source of
information, since they either are already in a nursing home
or are considering one. Check the agencies in your area who
already care for the aged as they often have deficiency
reports that are filed when a home does not meet area
standards or conditions. Check these out carefully - they will
contain other things to look for that you had not considered.
Some areas have these reports on the Internet, so do a search
there too.
You may have seen an advertisement and thought you had found
the answer to the nursing home problem. Maybe. Look at the
ad closely. If it is in the newspaper or a regional magazine,
tear it out if you can. What appeals to you about this
advertisement; about this home? Use the advertisement to
start a check list of things to consider. Does it mention
the size of the rooms? What about the size of the bathroom?
Are all rooms handicap enabled? Are rooms shared or single?
What about activities for residents? Is smoking allowed
everywhere or just in designated places? You are getting
the idea. Put it all on the check list.
Now that you have started a check list, you need to make
some home visits. This is another step and it is very
important. Remember that each home is a business and all
businesses are trying to reduce costs where they can. One
of the major ways is by hiring staff that is under skilled
or where a background check is not as thorough as it
should be. Staff that is not properly trained could cause
your loved one more harm than good. Talk to the workers
and ask questions like, "Where would you rather work if
you did not work here?" Write down the answer - it might
give you clues about where else to look for the new home.
Can you share a meal with the residents? This will tell
you if the food quality is top notch. Do you like it?
Would you like to eat this every day? Remember you are
choosing this home as if you were choosing for yourself.
How far from where you live is the future home? Is it
close enough for friends and you to visit without
spending a lot of money on gas and driving? Is it close
to or on a bus route? What about other public
transportation?
Notify each home you would like to make a visit and bring a
flashlight. When you visit one of the rooms, check under the
bed with your flash light. Is it clean? Smell the towels in
the bathroom - you know that your loved one will smell these
towels every day. Do the towels smell fresh or sour? Take a
good look around the room - are window sills and curtains
clean? Are there dust bunnies behind the door? Check out
more than one room. The home might have a spotless room for
visits such as yours that is a show place but not the real
deal. Is this a place where you would like to stay if this
was your next home?
Can you visit and talk with the current residents? Try to
meet the people who live there now to get their opinions of
how well they like the meals, the staff, and surroundings.
These people will give you more information than the other
tips combined.
On your check list you should have these tips covered:
1. Licensed and inspection reports are current?
2. Site visit successful?
3. Clean and tidy? What about under the bed, places you
can't see and the sniff test of the towels?
4. Employees are licensed, friendly and helpful?
5. Are any employees bilingual?
6. Are the residents happy with the home?
7. What is the distance from where you live? The price of
gas is not getting cheaper.
8. Can you visit you loved one when you want or only at
approved times?
You have a good start. These tips and sources of information
will help you find the right place for your loved ones and
most likely yourself when the time comes to choosing a
nursing home. If you discover other tips on your own that
are not mentioned here and would like to share, I'd love to
hear from you. If I use your tip, I'll give you the credit
in a future article. Just send an e-mail to:
jim at selectanursinghome.com
If you would like to know more about nursing homes and receive
a free monthly newsletter with tips and resources, I would
recommend that you visit:
[selectinganursinghome.com].
Jim Fortune is a freelance writer who writes about issues affecting the aged. He can be reached at [selectinganursinghome.com]. He is also a business to business copywriter; technical white papers are his speciality. He enjoys time off with his wife, and Kali, Sammy and Ricky and spends the rest of his free time fly fishing.
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