5 Tips for Choosing a Nursing Home

It is never an easy decision to place a loved one in a nursing home. This decision is usually a last resort when the loved one can no longer be cared for at home, or is being discharged from a rehabilitation center or hospital and is not yet fit to go home. Understandably, most people only have to make this decision once, and they never think about it until the moment arrives. As a Maryland Elder Law expert, I have seen many issues arise from not researching and planning for your loved one to enter a nursing home. Below are some tips that will help make the decision a little bit easier and allow you the peace of mind that your loved one will be well cared for.

• Location - Making sure the nursing home is in an area readily accessible for family members to visit makes a big difference in the quality of the stay of your loved one. The longer the resident goes without visits from friends and family has a debilitating effect on their health and quality of life. Plus, regular visits help you hold the residential staff accountable for giving your loved one the necessary care and attention.


• Certified Reports - Check with different rating agencies to see how the nursing homes in your area meet your needs and standards. You can find basic comparisons and ratings online by doing a quick Google search for "nursing home ratings".


• References - Ask the nursing homes you are interested in for numbers of families who have/had a loved one stay there. This way you can ask a non-biased source about the quality of care, timeliness of response to needs or concerns, etc.


• Tour the Home - Take a detailed tour of the facility and observe the interactions between residents and staff, cleanliness, etc. Observe how quickly staff responds to needs of the residents. Ideally, try to get an impromptu tour so that you are not seeing something that may be rehearsed.


• Ask Questions - Talk to the administrator or staff to understand how they respond to family concerns, how care plans are developed, etc. If you are unhappy with any answers, check them off your list. It is very important to be comfortable with how the staff handles the care and concerns of your loved one.

Even though it is the last thing you want to discuss or think about, it is a good idea to know your options ahead of time. If you sense that Mom will not be able to live at home much longer, or Dad is about to be discharged from the hospital and you are not capable of taking care of him, do not wait to decide on a nursing home. Follow the 5 tips above and prepare a small list of possible nursing home options before you need it. This will help reduce the stress in your loved one's time of need.