When your elderly loved one can no longer live on their own comfortably or safely, a nursing home can provide a great way to keep them cared for. Understanding how to look for the right home for your loved one’s specific needs is of utmost importance. Doing so will ensure they can make the change to a nursing home lifestyle in an easy fashion. If you want to pick the perfect home, here is a guide to picking the right nursing home for your elderly loved one:
What are Your Loved One’s Medical Needs?
Before anything else, you need to sit down with your elderly loved one and determine what their most important medical needs are. Even if you think you know all of your loved one’s needs, making sure that no oversight in preparing them for this new journey is made is critical. Seeing your loved one’s doctor discuss the necessities a nursing home must have for your loved one to be comfortable and healthy is highly recommended. In many cases, a doctor can give you a great recommendation of nursing homes that they trust, so never skip out on this important step.
What are Your Loved One’s Emotional Needs?
Beyond medical needs, there are many emotional needs that a person needs to be met to lead a healthy, fulfilling life. Especially since the transition into a nursing home can be a huge shock for elderly folk, knowing that the home has plenty of community programs and other amenities set up to help them transition emotionally is crucial. Additionally, if you ever suspect any emotional abuse is happening once your loved one moves into the home, you should contact a professional nursing home lawyer immediately.
5 Qualities You Should Check for in a Potential Nursing Home
1. Cleanliness
Without a clean facility, a nursing home simply can not function in a safe, efficient, or acceptable manner. When visiting a home, make sure to immediately check out how clean the overall facilities are (especially any living spaces). As long as you feel comfortable with the level of cleanliness, and do not spot any hazards in the living spaces, it’s a great sign that your potential nursing home choice takes their caretaking duties seriously. If you’re concerned about any aspect of the home’s cleanliness, you can also ask to speak to the nursing home’s director about the issues you’ve spotted.
2. Professionalism
Whenever you visit a potential nursing home choice, you should take notice of how the staff treats you. Additionally, try to view how staff members are interacting with other residents who already live at the nursing home. The level of professionalism and compassion they show will provide a great sign of how your loved one will be treated if they become a resident. If you’re able to interview the nursing home director about your loved one joining the nursing home community in question, you’ll have a much better grasp of how professionally the facility is run. Professional staff should also be set up with fantastic hospital management software to ensure their daily tasks are running smoothly.
3. Accessibility
Many elderly people who live in nursing homes have special physical and medical needs. Make sure your loved one’s needs are met, and that any needs that you’re worried about have the potential to be met in the future. Knowing that your loved one’s contract with the nursing home will cover any of their future (and current) needs will help you gain peace of mind. If you’re not certain as to how to approach this step, the help of a quality nursing home lawyer can help you navigate the process.
4. Rave Reviews
When you’re looking for an assisted-care facility, you must vet their reputation before making any big choices. Knowing that they have a solid set of rave reviews and recommendations posted online is key. In the digital age, any home that does not have a strong online presence and history is a red flag. You want to know that other residents have been so well taken care of that they and their families have made a point of praising the staff’s care efforts in an online, public space.
The Perfect Nursing Home for Your Loved One is Out There
As long as you take the time to properly vet, interview, and tour a facility, you can easily determine whether it’s the perfect nursing home for your elderly loved one. There are lots of factors to consider, but before you make the final choice, you must make sure your loved one is on board with the choice of a facility as well.
