Nursing Homes

(Part 1 of 2)

If you need nursing home care, you will likely be too ill to make the choice yourself and will need to rely on family or friends to find a place for you. However, knowing now what to look for can help your family or friends be prepared in advance. This also provides an opportunity for you to talk with them about what your wishes are and to think about what kinds of choices you want them to help you make, should it ever be necessary.
Nursing homes are also sometimes called long-term care facilities or skilled-nursing facilities. Whatever their name, these facilities provide nursing and medical care for patients in a residential setting. It is important to realize that nursing home care does not have to be the end of the line. Often people need to have short-term stays in nursing homes after hospitalizations or for rehabilitative purposes. Other patients do require constant long-term care and for this they do need to become permanent nursing home residents. If you need nursing home care, you most likely will be told by your health care provider, hospital discharge planner, or assisted living staff member. It is important to ask questions about exactly what kind of care is needed and whether it is possible to get this kind of care at home.

FIND A NURSING HOME

Learn about the nursing homes in your area. Talk with your friends and family members about their impressions of local facilities. Ask your doctor for information and advice. If you are in a hospital, talk with (and have family or friends talk with) hospital social workers and discharge planners, your local agency on aging can provide you with a list of area nursing homes. You also want to contact your long-term care ombudsman. Ombudsmen are state employees who evaluate and inspect nursing homes.
Nursing homes are governed by the Nursing Home Reform Act, which contains standards for nursing homes to follow.
Once you, your family, or your friends have created a list of nursing homes to consider, your family or friends should make appointments to speak to an administrator and get a tour of the facility. They should plan on returning unannounced once during the day and once in the evening so they can see what the facility is like at all times of day.
Some of the questions they will need to ask nursing home administrator include the following:

-What are the costs?
-Are there extra fees?
-Is Medicaid accepted?
-How many Medicaid beds are there and how many are available?
-What is the employee-to-resident ratio?
-Are there separate areas for patient with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?
-What is the daily schedule?
-How many RNs are on duty at a time?
-What is the ratio of RNs to other staff?
-Are activities planned for residents?
-Is there a family and/or resident council?
-Are single rooms available?
-Are there visiting hours set?
-What items may patients bring with them?
-What kind of security is in place?
-What is the bedhold policy?