HAS nursing home (also known as a skilled nursing facility) is for older retirees who can no longer cope with the tasks of daily living. It has trained nursing staff and caregivers with experience in caring for the elderly.
The services provided by a nursing home are comprehensive and, in addition to nursing care, include: 24-hour supervision and assistance with daily tasks, as well as all meals and recreational activities.
Some people enter a skilled nursing facility as an intermediate step on their way home from a hospital stay. They are there for only a week or two until they fully recover from whatever surgical procedures they have undergone.
These facilities are also used to give respite to family caregivers who spend their time caring for an elderly parent. The father spends a week or more in a safe and professional environment where the person who cares for him in his own home enjoys a vacation.
However, most nursing home residents live there permanently because they have physical or mental illnesses that require constant care and supervision. This is the case of my mother.
Choosing a nursing home can be very stressful for any retiree, as it was for my mother, who was unfortunately physically and mentally disabled.
Since a skilled nursing facility is likely to be your last permanent home on this planet, you must first plan ahead and consider all of your actions for the long term. This was not possible for my mother. She had always stated her opposition to entering a nursing home.
He had a fall, one of many, and ended up in the hospital. Until then she had refused to consider entering a nursing home. But his doctor didn’t want to discharge him and return to his own home, so he had no choice.
Fortunately, my brothers and I had done a lot of research over the past few years…since we knew from his failing physical health and increasingly apparent dementia that going to a nursing home was inevitable.
We had already researched the local nursing homes and knew which one we wanted for Mom. Luckily, there was a vacancy.
This article is based on our experiences searching for a suitable home for our mom.
Deciding your best option
Being affected is not something sudden. It is happening gradually as we age. We become less able to care for ourselves or our homes.
It was heartbreaking to witness my mother’s slow 5-year transition from a vibrant, highly outgoing, highly energetic woman to a hunched-over, shuffling old lady.
Entry into a nursing home is only necessary in the last stage of this weakening process. In the early stages you have several options. These include:
- daily assistance from a caregiver who comes several times a week or every day to help you with your daily tasks
- having a resident caregiveroften a retired nurse, who can help with getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing, etc., as well as cooking, cleaning, and keeping the house tidy
- independent living communities where you live in an apartment complex with on-site facilities like banks, gyms, fitness programs, a beauty salon and barbershop, a communal dining room, and even a doctor who makes regular rounds
- assisted living communities for older people who need more support than they can get by living independently but who don’t need complex medical care on a daily basis…they usually offer meals, cleaning, and planned activities, but not medical services.
Before you choose a nursing home, take some time to consider whether any of these options might be more suitable for now.
My mother went through the first two of these stages for several years before her disabilities prevented her from staying home.
Steps to choose a nursing home
When you make the decision yourself, you need to have the support of your family and close friends in making your decision.
Bring them to the weighing options process to help you make your final decision. Our entire family made the decision on behalf of our mother.
Consider your needs in the last years of your life (nursing care, physical therapy, special care needs, religious needs, physical decline, dementia care, etc.) when evaluating your options.
Once you have finally decided that you want or should enter a nursing home, here are the three basic steps to follow:
Step one
Do a thorough Google search and list all the nursing homes in our area. We ask for recommendations from other seniors you know and trust.
second step
Research the quality of the nursing homes you are considering:
- Check their websites for the facilities they offer.
- Check the inspection reports made by the nursing home regulatory agency, which you can find on the nursing home’s own web pages or on the regulatory agency’s website.
- Type the name of individual nursing homes into Google and search for reviews from residents or others.
Next, list the houses in order of preference, that is, create a short list.
Step three
Visit nursing homes on the short list.
If you’re checking out the houses yourself, looking for a place to spend your final years, I’d suggest bringing a family member or close friend.
Or have someone you trust do the visit on your behalf.
Tours provide an opportunity to see residents, staff, and the home environment.
Note:
- Before your visit, consider and decide what is important to you: nursing care, meals, therapy, a religious dimension, location near family and friends, etc.
- Call ahead to make sure you’re received
- Ask questions and make sure you get clear answers.
- Ask the staff to explain anything you don’t understand.
- Ask who to call if you have more questions
- Get a copy of your standard contract so you can read it carefully later.
Take the checklist below with you to help you.
Take a second surprise visit to the facilities without calling first. Try to arrive in the late morning or midday for this visit, so you can see the residents when they are going about their daily routines or at meal times.
I hope you find these tips useful.
My brothers and I undertook all of these investigations on behalf of our mother, and as my mother’s attorney, I made the final decision based on what I knew of her wishes.
I can tell you now that it is a lot of work and a lot of time. However, it must be done correctly if the retiree is to be happy in his final home.
Here’s a checklist I’ve designed to help you when you visit a nursing home.
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Nursing Home Checklist
Nursing Home Name: _____________________________________________________________
Date of first visit: _______________________________________________________________
Who visited: _____________________________________________________________
Date of second visit: _____________________________________________________________
Who visited: _____________________________________________________________
Basic information
Is the nursing home registered with the appropriate regulatory body?
Yes
Nope
Comments
Have you reviewed the inspection reports?
Is there a brochure available?
Does the home have the necessary level of care?
Is there a bed available?
Is there a waiting list?
Can the nursing home provide care for people with special needs, eg, dementia, disability, residents who are wandering?
Is the nursing home close enough for friends and family to visit?
Is the nursing home clean and well cared for?
Have you checked corners and carpets for embedded dirt?
Are the noise levels in the common areas comfortable?
Is the temperature in the nursing home comfortable?
What are the arrangements for visits from family and friends?
Are there areas where residents can meet visitors in private?
Are care plan meetings with residents and family members held at convenient times, whenever possible?
Are residents allowed to make decisions about their daily routines?
Does each resident have storage space?
Are there smoke detectors in the rooms and hallways?
Are there policies and procedures to protect residents’ possessions?
Is the nursing home odour-free?
Does the nursing home accept residents who smoke?
Are there smoking regulations and are they acceptable?
clinical care
Yes
Nope
How
What is the household management structure?
Does the home provide therapy services?
Are podiatry services provided?
What medical arrangements exist?
Under what circumstances does the center call the family or doctor?
How are medical emergencies handled?
Does the nursing home have a policy on self-medication?
What are the arrangements to ensure that assessed health needs are reviewed and met?
Staff
Yes
Nope
Comments
Is the relationship between staff and residents warm, polite and respectful?
Do all staff wear name badges?
Do staff actively interact with residents?
Does the nursing home do background checks on all staff?
Are personnel numbers adequate?
What is the ratio of staff to resident?
What is the ratio of skilled nurses to residents?
What is the ratio of caregivers to residents?
Does the home provide ongoing professional learning and training for staff?
Menus and Food
Do residents have a choice of food at each meal?
Are special diets provided?
Are there menus available for you to view?
Do staff help residents eat and drink at meals if needed?
Is the dining room attractive, cheerful and comfortable?
Social activities
Is there a variety of social, cultural and educational activities?
Are residents free to choose to participate?
Does the nursing home offer the religious or cultural support you need?
Are arrangements made to accommodate religious worship?
Does the staff offer individual activities for residents who are confined to bed?
Does the nursing home have outdoor areas that residents can use?
Does the staff help the residents to go out?
Are trips abroad planned?
What is done for parties and birthdays?
Is there a neighborhood committee?
Finance
What is and what is not included in the weekly or monthly rate?
Is a deposit required?
Are payment plans available?