Tips For Finding A Safe Nursing Home For Your Loved One
Do you have a parent or a spouse who can no longer take them of him or herself? Then the time has come to think about moving them to a nursing home or assisted living facility. There are a lot of stereotypes out there about care and treatment in nursing homes, but you should know that the vast majority of assisted living facilities are filled with professionals who will do whatever it takes to make sure your loved one is comfortable. Still, it can't hurt to do some due diligence while trying to find the right nursing home for your parent or spouse. Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you find a nursing home you can feel good about.
Take Your Time Deciding
Sometimes the idea of having to move your loved one to a nursing home comes quickly. Maybe they suddenly slipped and fell and it became apparent that they can't live on their own anymore. Your loved one might even be in a hospital awaiting discharge and you are scrambling to try and find a place for them quickly.
However, rushing the selection process is a surefire way to miss a potential red flag. You can ask a hospital to push the discharge back if you need more time. Yes, time is of the essence but this does not mean that you need to choose the first place you look at. Take your time and select the best option for your loved one.
Use Medicare's Nursing Home Compare Tool
Did you know that the government has an online tool specifically designed to help people compare and choose between different nursing homes and assisted living facilities? The tool is called Nursing Home Compare and it's a part of Medicare.gov. This tool will let you see what a specific nursing home's track record is and if there are any red flags or incidents in the past that you should know about. You are ideally looking for a place with a clean record across the board.
Visit During a Busy Time
Finally, take a tour of one or more nursing homes you are thinking would work for your loved one. For best results, you might want to go on a weekend when staffing is lower or during a busy time of the day like when dinner is being served. This will let you see how the patients are treated when the staffing is perhaps a bit overworked or stressed out.
Contact a nursing home today to get started. Visit sites like http://www.vvrconline.org to learn more about nursing homes.