Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Step1
Understand that skilled nursing facilities are either stand-alone or part of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC).
Step2
Expect to pay between $3,500 and $8,000 per month for a stand-alone skilled nursing facility. Seniors who enter a CCRC at the skilled nursing or assisted living level will be required to pay a monthly fee between $1,500 and $3,500.
Step3
Ask if the skilled nursing facility has a specialized and secure Alzheimer's or dementia unit with greater staff ratios. There should be at least one staff person for every four to six residents on the day shift.
Step4
See if the facility offers multisensory interactive experiences such as aromatherapy, subdued lighting and tactile stimulation for people with Alzheimer's or dementia. These techniques help calm sufferers down when they are anxious or agitated.
Step5
Look at the group size for activities. Most Alzheimer's patients do best in small group activities with two or three people. Also, make sure the walking areas in the Alzheimer's unit are either circular or figure-eights, since people with Alzheimer's do not do well with right angles.
Step6
Make sure the facility checks diapers regularly - not just every 2 hours, but as needed.
Step7
Find out how residents with memory impairment are fed. Is every effort made to feed them out of bed? Do they receive specialized attention?
Step8
Take the marketing tours of prospective assisted living facilities. Talk to staff and residents alike, asking about staff credentials and qualifications, meals, employee drug screening and employee background checks.
Step9
Look at online directories of senior care (assisted living and nursing) facilities such as Senior Care Review (800-801-3911), Care Guide(888-389-8839), New Lifestyles (800-820-3013) and Senior Alternatives(800-350-0770) for senior facilities.
Comments
Lindaperry said
on 6/30/2008 Though there might be one or two adequate nursing homes in your city, they will not usually have the staff, the time or the ability to care for those who cannot care for themselves. As backwards as that seems, what it means is that usually the only ones that do well inside nursing homes are those that do not "need" to be in nursing homes.
I urge all readers to consider other means of care,such as home care, such as assisted living, or senior apartments, or hospital care rather than opting for what is called a "nursing" home or rehabilitation and care center.
Lindaperry said
on 6/30/2008 What I have noticed in visiting some nursing homes was that usually the people who do better in there are those who have their full faculties. It seems that once residents lose their memories, their abilities to communicate properly, once they have dementia or other similar problems, those are the patients who do not do well inside nursing homes and rehab centers.
The reason being is that most of these places are understaffed and the staff--if they are paying attention at all--is paying attention to those residents who "know" what is happening.
It is very easy for nursing home staff to ignor, pay less attention and to neglect any patients that have alzheimers and other mental illnesses.
The nursing homes staff, administrators and those "in the business" generally will never admit this to you--because their paycheck comes from working there. And as you know, workers must kee
RoyK said
on 2/25/2008 You may also want to check out the Alzheimer's Association Senior Housing Finder for a free, unbiased directory of all licensed care providers in the country: www.SeniorHousingFinder.org
lilaclady said
on 1/25/2008 This sort of information would have been good for me when my mother was alive, its a scary thing to have to go through and can be very confusing for those who have never had to do this sort of thing before. I think your information will be of help to a lot of people.
karen6 said
on 1/21/2008 Been very helpful in my decision making process.