People may deny the idea of a nursing home at first. But it is undeniable that they cannot provide full-time care to their elderly loved ones due to busy schedules. For this reason, nursing homes are the best option to consider where their senior loved ones can live under great care. However, before choosing a nursing home, you should acknowledge a few factors that can influence the reliability of your choice. These factors include personal choice, financial aspects, medical conditions, etc.
It is natural to feel overwhelmed when making such a decision; however, you have to ensure that it is for the best. But in case of indecisiveness, a doctor or social worker can help in such a situation. While finding a care home or nursing home for your dear ones for the long-term, you should keep the following tips in mind.
1. Staff
It is crucial to know about the staff before selecting a nursing home for your loved one. The staff members are the people who will be responsible for the safety and comfort of your elderly loved one at the nursing home. The staff of any nursing home should be professional and sympathetic towards people. For this reason, take time out of your routine to observe the staff and ask questions to know more about them.
Before advancing further, it is important to mention that you should know the rights if your loved one encounters nursing home abuse. Sometimes brutal behavior of staff at nursing homes can harm residents, causing long-term mental and physical suffering for them. At that point, it is crucial to hire a nursing home abuse lawyer who can help take action against abusers and secure compensation for the harm.
To ensure the security of your loved one, check if staff members possess skills in personal care and nursing care. See whether they are polite, warm, and respectful towards residents. It may look trivial, but you should check if they call residents by their names or knock on residents’ doors before entering their room.
To get a complete idea, you should find out the following factors about the staff members of the nursing home:
- Does staff enrolls in training programs, and does it have access to continuing education at the nursing home?
- Ensure that the management does not employ skilled nurses who have any record of offense or negligence in the nurse aide registry.
- Make sure that every nurse that works at the nursing home is licensed.
- At least one registered nurse or RN should be at the place for at least 8 hours a day.
2. Size and Location
Try to find a nursing home near your house if possible. The distance between the nursing home and your house should be short enough that you can visit your elderly relative frequently. It will also help you remain satisfied with the thought that your loved one is not far away from you. If you do not find a nursing home close to you, try close to another reliable family member who is always ready to help and support your loved one.
In addition to that, consider the size of the nursing home. Identify whether it is according to the personality and preference of the person who requires care or not. Ask the following questions from yourself to get a better idea about what is right for your loved one:
- Will this person have a better environment if there are many people around?
- Are there any places where the nursing home residents can get outside and walk? If so, are these places safe, and can residents access them easily?
- What is this person’s personality: social and friendly or introverted and quiet?
- Does the nursing home have facilities to engage its residents in different activities to know what they can do at a given time?
3. Services
Almost all nursing homes offer long-term care. But different nursing homes provide different types of services and health care. So it is important to find out about the services the nursing home provides. Some services are essential for the particular needs of the residents, while others are substantial just for improving the quality of life.
To know about the services, it is advised to visit the nursing home. Check for the meals that residents are provided with. Ask administration whether they provide nutritious snacks and prepare meals according to the special dietary needs of a resident. Also, implore if they assist residents in eating and drinking during mealtime. Some nursing homes plan meals and other activities to get their residents involved, which is a plus point.
Make sure that special health care services are available. For instance, a patient with dementia should have specialized care at the nursing home, and the same should be the case with patients with other diseases.
4. Independence
Shifting to a care or nursing home is a scary and startling experience for most elderly and individuals. They may feel the urge for freedom to make their own decisions and make their own choices. Although they cannot do many things that they could before, some aspects should remain up to them if they are mentally stable.
You should consider this before making the final decision about a nursing home. Residents at care homes feel more comfortable and satisfied when they have independence over factors like:
- In what activity they want to participate
- What food they want to eat and what they do not like to eat
- When they wake up
- When they go to bed
- What show they can watch and much more
If the individuals getting care are mentally healthy, you just have to send them to the nursing home, where they are provided with great care and help.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the tips mentioned above will help you find the right nursing home for your beloved elderly family member. While looking for a suitable home for your close one(s), you cannot trust just any nursing home. Some nursing homes have a bad reputation in town, which you should strictly avoid. You can search about them online to know about people’s experiences with them. Do not trust nursing homes that have a minor or severe violent history. Choose the most hospitable nursing home.
