Choose a Nursing Home
There are many ways to find the perfect nursing home, from formulaic checklists to references from friends and family. Sometimes economics or geographical location is the basis for choice. No matter where or how much a nursing home costs, discovering if it is a really good nursing home is a matter of personal experience. Look below for a more hands-on method for choosing a really good nursing home.
Instructions
1. Enter the nursing home through the front door and take a deep breath using both your nose and mouth. A good nursing home does not smell. Even the slightest odor is an indication that this is not the right facility for you or your charge. The lobby of a nursing home should smell exactly the same as the lobby of a hotel.
2. Visit the behind-the-scenes area of the nursing home, including the kitchen, laundry room, staff room, storage facilities and any public bathrooms. Some nursing homes like to give the appearance of hygiene and order when really they are simply masking their own inconsistencies. A quick inspection of those areas hidden from the public eye is a good indication of what to expect from a facility about standards.
3. Talk to the staff and not just the administrator. A nursing home visit usually involves the expected chit chat with the home administrator where the speeches are pat and the answers are meant to please. Speaking with the nurses, custodians, kitchen and activity staff will give a much broader impression of the facility and the contentment levels of the staff.
4. Spend time in the actual room that is under consideration for yourself or your charge. Don't be fooled by the phrase "a room very similar to this one." Check electrical outlets, clearance between furniture, plumbing and panic buttons in the room.
5. Have a meal in the cafeteria. Sit and visit with residents of the home. As you check the consistency and quality of the food, talk with the residences to gauge their level of happiness and any complaints they have with the facility. Every place has problems, but it's about separating surface from concrete faults.
6. Attend several of the activities offered at the facility. Check out quality and attendance levels of scheduled activities. This allows you to see just what is on offer and if the facility has activities suited to yourself or your charge.
7. Drop by the nursing home several times without invitation at different times of the day. Try a day versus an evening visit, an early and a late visit and even a weekday versus a weekend visit. This gives you a broad view of the operation of the facility and lets you visit with different shifts of personnel.
Tags: nursing home, good nursing, good nursing home, your charge, yourself your charge