NURSING
HOME SITE
- ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES SITE
Choosing
The Right Nursing Homes for Loved Ones
By Michael Russell
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.
Michael
Russell
Your
Independent guide to Nursing
