Placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision many families face. It often comes after a major health event that leaves an elderly family member needing more care than can be provided at home.
Finding the right nursing facility is crucial for ensuring your loved one receives attentive, respectful care in a safe environment.
The search requires asking the right questions, doing thorough research, and trusting your instincts. With so many factors to weigh, the process can feel overwhelming. But going in with a plan can make finding the perfect nursing home manageable.
Here are a few tips for choosing the right nursing home for your elderly loved one.
1. Have Family Discussions
Often, adult children try to make choices without properly consulting their aging parents. While well-intentioned, this removes that person’s autonomy and right to decide where they will live. Even if health issues impact their cognition or decision-making abilities, they still deserve a say in the matter.
Before starting your search for a nursing home, it is crucial to have open and honest discussions with your family. Make sure to involve the elder who will be moving if they can.
Part of these discussions should include awareness of the various types of elderly abuse, such as physical, emotional, or financial abuse. Understanding these risks can further inform your decisions and the questions you might ask potential nursing homes.
Family discussions ensure you make the most informed decision that fully considers your loved one’s needs, values, and wishes. Schedule a time when all key family members, including the elder, can be present.
Give them a chance to voice their thoughts and preferences. Address concerns transparently and with compassion. Compromise if certain wishes are unrealistic given health limitations. But do not simply override their opinions.
2. Understand Care Levels
Nursing facilities offer varying levels of care, ranging from independent living to skilled nursing. You and your loved one must fully understand the appropriate level of care required, given their current health status and needs.
Resources like the National Institute on Aging have informative guides that explain the different senior living options, such as:
- Independent living communities
- Assisted living facilities
- Memory care units
- Skilled nursing homes
If your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, for example, you will want to look for a facility that has specially trained staff and resources to provide appropriate care.
Make sure to thoroughly research the types of care offered at any prospective nursing home. Also, inquire about their capacity to handle changing needs if your loved one’s condition progresses.
3. Tour First
It may be surprising, but many families place a loved one in a nursing facility without ever touring it themselves first.
Visiting a prospective nursing home in person can help you understand the place through direct observation and conversations with staff and residents.
Also, make a follow-up weekend visit when staffing and routines may look quite different than on a weekday. If time is limited due to a hospital discharge, appeal the discharge date to negotiate a couple of extra days.
This allows you to thoroughly research options before moving your loved one.
4. Get Recommendations
Ask close friends, relatives, and your loved one’s doctor if they have any first-hand experiences or could recommend specific nursing facilities in your area. Trusted individuals who have had a family member in a nursing home can provide valuable insider perspectives.
Doctors who make rounds at local nursing homes will also know which ones have solid clinical care and which ones to avoid. They may not openly disparage a nursing home but can guide you on where they would feel comfortable placing their own relative.
5. Trust Your Senses
During tours of prospective nursing homes, stay alert to what you see, hear, and smell. Notice how the staff interacts with residents – are they treated with respect? Eat a meal in the dining hall to judge the quality and variety of food.
Do the rooms feel homey or sterile and hospital-like? Are there hazards like frayed carpets, poor lighting, and strong odors? Observe how staff responds to audible alarms – are they addressed promptly?
Pay attention to what your gut tells you.
6. Ask the Doctor
Your loved one’s primary doctor or specialist likely knows local nursing home options very well. They can offer insights based on having patients transferred there after hospital stays.
Ethically, they may not openly disparage a facility, but they can guide you on places they would feel comfortable – or not – transferring their relative.
7. Visit Often at Varying Times
Once your loved one has moved into a nursing home, make a point to visit frequently and at varying times. Regular, unannounced visits during the day, evenings, and weekends can help identify issues that may be missed otherwise.
For example, late-night visits allow you to see the quality of night staff. Note any changes in your loved one that could signal neglect, like unexplained weight loss, bedsores, or depression. Immediately report suspected abuse or neglect to authorities.
8. Speak Up About Concerns
If problems arise during your loved one’s residence, document details and dates of any concerning incidents you observe. Report issues promptly to the nursing home administrator and push for improvements.
Understand your loved one’s rights under federal nursing home regulations. Do not hesitate to speak up or seek advocacy if you feel they are not getting the proper level of care. You can get them the quality care they deserve with vigilance and voicing concerns.
Conclusion
Choosing a nursing home is challenging but vitally important. Following these tips will lead you to a facility that provides compassionate care in a safe, supportive environment.
Do your homework, ask questions, and stay involved. With the right nursing home, you can feel confident your loved one will be well cared for.
