Choosing The Right Nursing Homes for Loved Ones

Nursing homes have been in existence for as long as I can remember. A nursing home is quite different from a hospital. It is a residence that provides accommodation, meals, nursing care, medical and rehabilitative services and protective supervision to its residents. While someone coming from a hospital stay may require the services of many long-term care professionals such as nurses, therapists and social workers, a nursing home is not a hospital setting. The goal of a nursing home is to help people maintain as much of their independent functioning as possible in a supportive environment.

With the love and cohesion that is always found in family living, moving a loved family member to a nursing home could be a real hard decision to make. However, there are times when this seems inevitable. The US Department of Health and human Services reports that more than 1.5 million of the country\'s population is found in one nursing home or the other, and over 90% of this amount are already over 65 years of age and requires round the clock supervision.

However, when you need to get a nursing home, you and your loved one will be happier if you make the right choice. The best place to start your research for a good nursing home is to try to get the state agency\'s inspection report on your preferred nursing home. If you don\'t have any nursing home in mind yet, you could get ideas from several places. The discharge planner or social workers of your local hospital, your physician, area agencies or aging friends are all means for gathering information about nursing homes.

Nursing homes are usually inspected regularly by a state agency in charge of such affairs. These inspections are normally comprehensive; everything from the dietary needs to the medical care of residents is examined. The inspection reports are normally made available to the public. They could also be available online in some states. Regardless of how beautiful a nursing home facility may be, do not place a loved one until you have studied their state inspection reports

The reports you will be a good starting point from which to select an appropriate facility for your loved one, but that really is not enough. You must visit a nursing home for first hand information, before making the final choice. It is better to visit a facility you are contemplating more than once; at different times of the day and on different days of the week. Each time you are there on a visit, take note of what you hear and don\'t hear. Is it silent? Is there activity? How clean does it look? Are the residents dressed appropriately for the season? Most importantly, find out what the ratio of nurses to residents is and what is the staff turnover rate?

You should assess how enthusiastic the staff are about their work and how they treat the residents. In moving a family member to a nursing home, you want adequate care and attention given to them and not just a \'warehouse-like\' arrangement. The facility should make the residents feel cared for. Don\'t be fooled by the decoration and beauty of a nursing home. Even the most expensively decorated facility can have serious deficiencies in their caring abilities.

Another item to take care of when making inquiries about a nursing home is the food. To get first hand information, it is better to visit the facility during meal times. Observe the food which is being served and the care with which the residents are being served. This would be an easy way to learn if the staff treat the residents with care and respect that they deserve or if the employees appear rushed or annoyed by those with special needs.

Hearing from residents of the facility would also help. Although, not every resident will have the ability to carry on a conversation with you, often times those who enjoy social interaction will be more than willing to tell you about life in the home. From what they say, if you get the impression that the residents feel safe, cared for and contented with the staff and services of the facility, it might well be a good match for your loved one.

Finally, other factors such as location, cost, size, religious and cultural preferences, and accommodation for special care need to be considered.

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\r Michael Russell
\r Your Independent guide to Nursing
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