How to Pick a Nursing Home

Your loved one deserves to be safe and healthy while staying in a nursing home. Picking the right nursing home for your loved one may seem a daunting task, but if you have an idea of what to look for, the choice is much easier. There are obvious, and sometimes not so obvious signs to look for when selecting just the right home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Investigate the nursing home by checking your state's certification site and note if there are deficiencies that are uncorrected. Also take note of deficiencies that appear to reoccur. Determine the status of the nursing home certification with Medicare and Medicaid. A copy of the state's certification and latest inspection must be on public display.
2. Sit in the parking lot and observe the exterior of the nursing home. Look for signs of neglect such as peeling paint or doors that do not close properly. Check that exits and emergency exits are not blocked.
3. Arrive unannounced to schedule a tour. Do not walk directly to the administrator's office; walk the halls to see if the patients are well cared for. Note if the patients are clean and dressed, if staff members are respectful and attentive to the needs of the patient, the condition of the rooms and the general atmosphere of the nursing home.
4. Go to the administrators' office and ask for a tour of the nursing home. Also ask if the home accepts Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. Ask if a nurse is always on duty and if the nursing home has a doctor on staff. Ask who gives out the medications and when. Ask the total number of patients and how many nurses' aides are on duty right now. Ask to see the latest inspection report. All of these questions are important, but perhaps the most important is the staff to patient ratio.

Tips & Warnings

• Beware if there is only one nurses aide for fifty patients, a warning bell should sound for you. No matter how skilled a nurse or aide is, the quality of patient care suffers greatly with such a heavy workload.
• Only nurses can administer medications because they know what adverse reactions to watch for, the correct dosages to give and when to call the doctor.
• Make sure there is a doctor on staff who makes frequent and regular visits to the nursing home. Find out the policy of allowing the patient's own doctor to remain the doctor of choice. Ask where your loved one will be taken in case of emergency and what the policy is for notifying you.