Finding The Perfect Nursing Home Fit
March 10th, 2010

If you have come to that point in your life where you are thinking about putting one or both of your parents into a nursing home, you may have figured out that the task is easier said than done. There are plenty of good nursing homes out there, but finding the right one for your needs is the difficult thing. Each new patient is different, so will have different wants and needs when they are looking for a nursing home.
Some nursing homes will specialize in dementia and Alzheimer’s. The area should be secure to keep patients from wandering into dangerous areas. Be wary of homes with too many wheelchairs, as this may mean an overcrowding of patients or that the patients that live there are over medicated.
Other nursing homes will specialize in rehabilitation from surgery, illness, or injuries. They should have good therapy departments, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The therapists should be easy to talk to and willing to discuss the different treatments that they offer and what would work best for your loved one.
Some patients may just need help with day to day activities, but do not need the specialization that other patients require. For them, you will want to find out what sort of daily activities the nursing home has to offer. Some are better at these than others at this, so look for a home with a variety of activities and plenty of socialization between the residents.
Since 1987, all nursing homes have been regulated by the federal government. Each nursing home has an annual inspection to make sure that it is up to regulations, and is also inspected if a complaint is filed. If a problem is found, the facility is given a deficiency and must submit a plan to correct it. The Department of Health and Human Services will then come back and re-inspect the facility. These inspections are public knowledge, and the report should be made available to you upon request.
Be sure to read the report carefully, as this can help put your mind at ease that your loved one is getting the best care possible. It will let you know things like how their staff ratios are, how many falls the patients have suffered, if any cases of abuse have been found, the state the building is in, and the speed in which call lights are answered. It will also give information on weight loss at the facility, which can be an indicator of poor food or of staff that is not giving proper assistance to residents that need it.
This survey can give you information on nearly every feature of the nursing home and the care that it offers. It will tell you both the good things, and the things that people have complained about.
As the customer, you have the right and the responsibility to make sure that you find the right nursing home for your loved one. Being as informed as possible will make this a lot easier, and you can rest assured that your loved one will get the care that he or she needs.

---