Introduction
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a nursing home, and it’s important that you take your time to think through all of them before making your final decision. We’ve compiled some important aspects of choosing a nursing home below.
Price
You’re probably wondering how much it will cost to have your loved one in a nursing home. This is a very good question since the cost of care can vary significantly from one facility to another. Most Americans are paying for their medical care out of pocket, which means that they must also pay for nursing home services as well. The average cost of living in a nursing home is approximately $92,000 per year. However, this does not reflect on the quality of care you will receive or if your loved one has any special needs that require extra attention from staff members (i.e., medication management).
If you are considering placing your loved one in a private nursing home and want to keep costs down as much as possible, there are several things you should consider:
- Do they offer payment plans?
- Are there discounts/incentives offered based on length-of-stay?
- Do they accept Medicaid/Medicare benefits? If so, how much would those benefits cover?
Location
The location of the nursing home is something to consider, as it can help you determine how easily you will be able to visit and see your loved one. It’s best if the nursing home is close by so that you can spend as much time with them as possible. Check out some of these things before selecting a place for your loved one:
- Proximity to family and friends
- Proximity to medical facilities (if needed)
- Proximity to shopping and entertainment (for those who don’t want complete isolation)
- Public transportation options
Staffing
When choosing a nursing home, staffing is one of the most important factors to consider. It can determine whether or not you feel comfortable with the care your loved one receives. The staff should be sufficient enough to meet the needs of residents, family members and other employees.
- Staffing Requirements:
- Nurse/Staff Ratio:
- In order for a nurse to give proper care and attention to each patient, she must have enough time allocated for her tasks during any given day. The number of nurses working at any given time is regulated by state law; however, some facilities have higher standards than others and require more nurses per resident than those required by law (or even less). This can mean that some facilities might be able to provide better quality care than others simply because they are able to hire more qualified people in order for them all work together seamlessly as part of team.* Employee Turnover Rate: A high turnover rate among employees could indicate problems within your facility such as poor management practices or low morale among workers.* Number Of Staff Members Available For Scheduled Tasks During Shift Changeover Times: Having adequate staff available helps ensure smooth transitions between shifts so that residents don’t suffer from disruptions in care due an insufficient number
Inspections
Conveniently, the state inspects nursing homes regularly. This is to ensure that residents are being treated humanely and are staying safe and healthy. If you’re unsure about a particular facility, you can check the inspection reports online; they’re publicly available from the state’s website.
The inspections will address many different aspects of your loved one’s care, including:
- How often residents are bathed/showered—this helps prevent skin infections or skin breakdowns
- How often residents receive physical therapy—this prevents muscle atrophy which could lead to contractures (loss of movement) and deformities
- Whether staff members wear gloves when changing diapers or helping with personal hygiene
Quality Measures
There are several ways to measure the quality of a nursing home. One of the most common ways is through patient satisfaction surveys, which can be taken either by patients themselves or their caregivers. These surveys ask questions about how satisfied they are with their care, whether or not they would recommend the facility to others and more.
Another way to determine quality is by looking at some of the Medicare-approved Quality Measures that have been identified as important for long-term care facilities (LTCFs). These include:
- Rate of pressure sores in residents who receive long-term care services
- Percentage of residents who were assessed and given a pneumonia vaccine within seven days of being hospitalized
Testimonials
- Testimonials: Read reviews on sites like Google and Yelp, and ask your friends for recommendations.
- Staff: Ask the staff about their experience working in the nursing home, especially if you have a loved one who will be staying there for an extended period of time.
- Residents: Ask residents what they like about living at this particular nursing home.
When choosing a nursing home it is important to take into consideration all of your options before making your final decision.
When choosing a nursing home it is important to take into consideration all of your options before making your final decision. There are many aspects that should be considered when deciding on the best nursing home for you or your loved one, but we will cover the most important ones here:
- Price
- Location
- Staffing
- Inspections/Quality Measures (1) (2) (3) (4)
- Testimonials
Conclusion
In the end, we can’t tell you which nursing home is right for your loved one. But we hope that this article has helped to inform you about some important considerations when choosing an assisted living facility. We wish you the best in your search!
