How to Find the Right Nursing Home

Thursday, August 22, 2013

How to Find the Right Nursing Home

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

When trying to identify a quality nursing home facility for your loved one, it’s important to look for key indicators that may helpdetermine if the home is the best fit.

Know Who’s Working in a Facility

Start by verifying what kind of staff the home employs, such as RNs, physicians and physical therapists. You should also find out how many individualswork there to gauge how much attention residents receive. This information is available on Medicare’s website (which contains profiles of nearly all US nursing homes), if it’s not available on the nursing home’s direct website.

Know the Home’s Rating and Overall Quality

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a website devoted to giving nursing home shoppers a comprehensive look at almost all nursing homes in the US, based on a quality scale of one to five stars, with five being the best.

Observe During Your Visit

When touring the facility keep an eye on the behavior of the staff, the condition of the facility itself and the apparent well-being of residents. If you notice anything disconcerting it could be a sign of a serious underlying deficiency, and you should most likely avoid the home.

These steps should aid you to avoid abusive or negligent situations at any nursing facility. However, should you, a friend or a family member experience abuse or neglect at a nursing home, take action immediately and push for reform. Nursing home attorneys can help you receive compensation and prevent further harm to residents.