While placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision, there may come a period when it is the right one. It will help if you do your research and trust your instincts.
Based on the Department of Health and Human Services, the nation's nursing homes offer care to over 1.5 million people. Over 90% of these residents are over age 65. The majority of the residents are weak and require round-the-clock supervision due to dementia.
Things You need to Know
A nursing home is a residence that offers room, meals, nursing and rehabilitative care, medical services and protective supervision to its residents. While someone coming from the hospital might require the services of numerous long-term care professionals such as nurses, therapists and social workers, a nursing home is not a hospital (acute care) setting. The objective at a nursing home is to help individuals maintain as much of their independent functioning as possible in a supportive environment.
Choosing a Facility
One of the first things to think about when making a nursing home choice is the needs of the individual for whom you are giving care, suggest specialists at the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Make a list of the special care they need, like dementia care or various types of therapy.
If the individual is hospitalized, the discharge planner and/or social workers can assist you in assessing the needs of the person and locating the suitable facility.
If you are choosing a nursing facility for somebody who is presently at home, ask for referrals from your physician, Area Agency on Aging, friends, and family.
Other elements like location, cost, the quality of care, services, size, religious and cultural preferences, and accommodations for special care need to be considered.
When you've situated a few facilities that you'd like to consider much more thoroughly, plan on visiting each one, each with scheduled and unscheduled visits, and at various times and on various days with the week.
As you're walking around, pay attention to what you hear and do not hear. Is it quiet? Is there activity? How clean does it look? Are the residents dressed up appropriately for the season? Most importantly, find out the ratio of nurses to residents is and what is the staff turnover rate?
Helpful Hints
When you've lastly decided on a facility, you should know your rights and those of your family member. Before you or the resident sign the admissions contract, understand what you are signing, and do not sign any documents unless of course everything has been totally discussed.
The admissions contract should, at least, contain the daily room rate, reasons for discharge and transfer from the nursing home, and also the policy regarding payment of the daily room rate if the resident goes to the hospital or the family brings the resident house for a short time period.
You may question if you're truly making the appropriate decision to place your loved one in a facility at all. Keep in mind, you can do no more than your best, and if you've done that, neither you nor your family member can ask any more of you.
Based on the Department of Health and Human Services, the nation's nursing homes offer care to over 1.5 million people. Over 90% of these residents are over age 65. The majority of the residents are weak and require round-the-clock supervision due to dementia.
Things You need to Know
A nursing home is a residence that offers room, meals, nursing and rehabilitative care, medical services and protective supervision to its residents. While someone coming from the hospital might require the services of numerous long-term care professionals such as nurses, therapists and social workers, a nursing home is not a hospital (acute care) setting. The objective at a nursing home is to help individuals maintain as much of their independent functioning as possible in a supportive environment.
Choosing a Facility
One of the first things to think about when making a nursing home choice is the needs of the individual for whom you are giving care, suggest specialists at the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Make a list of the special care they need, like dementia care or various types of therapy.
If the individual is hospitalized, the discharge planner and/or social workers can assist you in assessing the needs of the person and locating the suitable facility.
If you are choosing a nursing facility for somebody who is presently at home, ask for referrals from your physician, Area Agency on Aging, friends, and family.
Other elements like location, cost, the quality of care, services, size, religious and cultural preferences, and accommodations for special care need to be considered.
When you've situated a few facilities that you'd like to consider much more thoroughly, plan on visiting each one, each with scheduled and unscheduled visits, and at various times and on various days with the week.
As you're walking around, pay attention to what you hear and do not hear. Is it quiet? Is there activity? How clean does it look? Are the residents dressed up appropriately for the season? Most importantly, find out the ratio of nurses to residents is and what is the staff turnover rate?
Helpful Hints
When you've lastly decided on a facility, you should know your rights and those of your family member. Before you or the resident sign the admissions contract, understand what you are signing, and do not sign any documents unless of course everything has been totally discussed.
The admissions contract should, at least, contain the daily room rate, reasons for discharge and transfer from the nursing home, and also the policy regarding payment of the daily room rate if the resident goes to the hospital or the family brings the resident house for a short time period.
You may question if you're truly making the appropriate decision to place your loved one in a facility at all. Keep in mind, you can do no more than your best, and if you've done that, neither you nor your family member can ask any more of you.
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