How To Pick A Good Nursing Home For Your Parents
Brian O Sutter
Wrongful Death
When our parents reach their golden years, we want to make sure that we provide them all of the love and care they provided us. However, often times we don’t have the medical expertise needed to adequately care for the health and well-being of our parents and so we will look for someone who does. A common alternative is to put our parents in a good nursing home where they will receive round the clock care. However with the high rates of elder abuse, it can be a terrifying prospect to trust the care of you beloved family members to strangers. So here are some tips on picking a good nursing home for your parents:Consider Your Parent’s Medical Needs
Depending on the severity of their health issues, you need to find the right type of nursing home for them. If your parents have health issues but are still high functioning, you’ll want to look at household care. Household care are nursing home communities where seniors live independently but get assistance with things like running errands and chores. These facilities have onsite medical care personnel for when there is a medical emergency, so they are great for seniors who can reasonably take care of themselves with a little assistance. There are also hospital care facilities which are for seniors who require full time medical assistance. Hospital care facilities are necessary when seniors are facing health issues that can put them in danger like dementia, limited mobility, or severe chronic illnesses. Many modern nursing homes offer a transition program from household care to hospital care if your parent’s condition worsens. So start looking for a nursing home based on your parent’s needs.
Do Your Research
Start by searching the names of the potential nursing homes at Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare: https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html. This search will show a history of inspections and infractions of any certified nursing home. If you find a home has a bad record for senior care, check it off your list. You can also search google for reviews and new articles. If a place has a clean record and a good reputation, you should schedule a visit.
Visit The Potential Nursing Homes
Once you have a list of potential homes that meet the medical needs of your parents and have good reputations, schedule tours of the facilities. Since your parents will be living there, take them with you so you can get their opinion on the place. Look for any signs of neglect or abuse. Make sure the facilities are modern and clean and the staff is friendly. Ask the staff as many questions as you can think of, making sure to find out their qualifications. Also speak to the residents and see how they like the place. If you get a bad feeling, trust your instincts and cross the facility off your list. Once you have the potential homes narrowed down to the ones you like, follow up with an unscheduled visit to make sure the care is consistent with what they showed you during your scheduled tour. If all of these things check out you can begin the process of placing your parent in the home.
Follow-Up Routinely
Once you have checked your parents into the home, follow up with them routinely. Continue to monitor the quality of the facility and make sure they inform you of any changes in ownership, staff, or policy. Never assume that just because the facility was good quality when your parents moved in, it will stay that way. Also make sure to always get one on one time with your parents so that you can ask them in a safe place if they have any concerns. Let them know that if something is wrong, you will pull them out immediately. One of the biggest issues with elder abuse is that elders are afraid if they say something about the abuse it will continue or worsen. So it is crucial you let them know you will always protect them no matter what.
Moving your parents into a nursing home is a difficult and emotionally challenging time. However, if you follow these steps and always make sure that you keep an open line of communication with your parents, they will be protected. However, even when you are extremely diligent, elder abuse can still happen. So if the home you trusted to care for you parents has been negligent or abusive, make sure to contact All Injuries Law Firm today. Neglect and abuse can worsen your parent’s health issues and can even lead to wrongful death. Our experienced attorneys will work with you to make sure that not only are your parents protected and taken care of, that the other residents of the home will be protected from the abuse. So contact us today for a free consultation and we will help make sure that your parents health and well being is protected.