How to Choose a Nursing Home?

 

We all have an older family member, friend or neighbor, who at some point requires additional support. Sometimes you even have to decide whether sending them to a nursing home is the right thing to do. However, we know little about the conditions in these places, since older people living in nursing homes often end up being invisible and vulnerable.

Most aging surveys are conducted in households, so we rarely find out how older adults live in sites that provide long-term residential housing. In most countries, the population in this type of nursing home is too small for this omission to skew our understanding of the general health of older adult populations, but it nevertheless reveals a lack of knowledge about this group of people, who appear to be particularly vulnerable.

When considering moving into a nursing home, also called a residential facility, you can take steps to ensure that you choose the location that best meets your needs. Bellow, Ephraim Zagelbaum, Founder and CEO of Personal Healthcare explains some of the steps.

·         Visit various nursing homes with your family. Most nursing homes have a facility coordinator who can answer your questions and show you around the facilities. Talk about what you like and dislike about the institution. It may be helpful to keep written notes about each place you visit. Feel free to request written material from each establishment. You may want to visit each one more than once, suggests Nursing Home owner Ephraim Zagelbaum.

·         Is the nursing home convenient for your family? You may want to choose a nursing home that your family members can visit frequently.

·         Consider the appearance of the nursing home. Is it clean and odor free? Is it a safe environment? The nursing home must have smoke detectors and sprinklers. There should be handrails. Exits must be clearly marked and unobstructed. Corridors and rooms must be free of obstacles. There should be no spillage on the floors. The temperature inside the facilities should be pleasant.

·         The government of each state oversees the licensing of nursing homes. The most recent state inspection report must be available for the public to read. If it is not posted, feel free to ask to see a copy. The state inspection report will notify you of any violations the establishment has committed and the steps that have been taken to correct those violations.

·         Ask about their license. The nursing home and its administrator must be licensed to operate by the state in which you live, explains Ephraim Zagelbaum.

·         Talk to the coordinator about nursing home hiring practices. Does the nursing home have a process to find out if potential employees have a history of abuse?

·         What is the educational level of the staff? Many nursing homes are staffed primarily by certified nursing aides who provide most of the care to residents. Training programs for CNAs vary by state. Most training programs last several weeks to several months and offer training in caring for the elderly, homebound, and the sick. A licensed nurse practitioner (LPN) or registered nurse (RN) must be available at all times to supervise the care provided by CNAs. What type of ongoing training do staff receive?

·         Can the nursing home retain qualified staff or does it have high turnover? Visiting more than once will give you a chance to see if the same employees are consistently present.