One of the most difficult life decisions many will be faced with is arranging care for our elderly parents. Sometimes aging parents need nursing home care on a temporary basis.  Others decide to move their parents into their own residence and have in home care provided. If you are taxed with choosing a long-term, in residence provider of care for your parents, there are many things to consider. There seem to be nursing home facilities on every corner, which one is right for your parent?

What is important to you

Nursing homes are a varied as apartment buildings. The have a plethora of amenities and benefits. You should school your self on what services and amenities are most important. What services to they provide. Is the facility staffed with medical professionals who can give actual care should the need arise. What about food service? Are meals served in a dining room or can they be served in room?

Speaking of rooms, is a private room important to you? What kind of physical activity is provided. No one wants their parent to simply be placed in a wheelchair and propped up in front of a TV day after day. Find out what kind of personal effects can be brought to make it feel like home. Check on the visitation schedule. Know the kind of access you’ll have to your parent? Be sure you know the services that will be provided on a daily basis.

Most importantly, find out if the facility takes your insurance or if Medicare payments will be enough to cover the cost.

Watch for red flags

Ask friends and other family for recommendations. But be on the look out for any red flags. A facility that has a strong urine smell throughout the building likely is not being sanitized as it should. Are the floors dirty?  Check on the training each employee of the facility goes through. It’s ok to judge the demeanor of the administrative staff and floor staff. If they are rude or seem bothered that you are asking hard questions, maybe consider another facility.

After you’ve placed your parent in a facility, pay close attention to what they tell you. If they are non verbal, check their bodies when you visit. Look for bruising or other indicators of abuse. Should you suspect abuse contact your nursing home abuse lawyer. Don’t wait to do this.

Visit the Facility Multiple Times

Visiting a facility you are considering once is not enough. Book an appointment the first time. Interact with the management and the nurse lead. If possible, ask for a tour of the place. Assess the critical areas such as the rooms, kitchen area, and bathrooms. Also, check the structure of the place to ensure it is safe and properly built to accommodate the elderly.

You can visit the place a second without notice and check the state of the nursing home. Try and note anything that seems off or different. Impromptu visits will give you the edge of making a better-informed decision as you will get a first-hand review of the facility.

Be present

It’s important that you continue to love your elderly parent and not just place them somewhere and get to busy to visit them. Even if they have diseases causes memory loss, it’s still a happy time to receive visitors. It may be very difficult to watch your parents deteriorate physically and mentally but it’s not their fault. They still need interaction with those who love them most.

(Visited 52 times, 1 visits today)