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Finding
a Safe Nursing Home
 When the time comes to find a long-term care facility for yourself or
a loved one, there are many important decisions to be made. Depending
on where you live, you may or may not have many different
nursing homes
to choose from. While location and budget are very important factors
for most people, there are many other things to consider. You will
want to be sure that you are choosing a home that provides a high
standard of quality and care. The question then becomes how do I find
such a nursing home? Here are some suggestions and things to look for
when shopping for a nursing home:
· Is the facility accredited? - Long-term care facilities that
are accredited by the Joint Commission have to meet very high quality
and safety standards. Such facilities are regularly monitored to
ensure that the facility is kept current and that organizational and
managerial improvement is a priority. Please visit our page on
accredited versus non-accredited nursing homes
for a complete discussion.
· How is the nursing home rated? - Any nursing home that
accepts payments from the Medicare program is routinely inspected and
given a rating based on quality, safety, and performance. These
ratings are kept very current and are a good indication of what you
can expect from the facility. Incidents of nursing home abuse and
neglect will show up on these records.
· Word of mouth - Do not believe everything you read in a
nursing home’s self-published marketing literature. Ask friends and
family who might know someone that lives in one of the nearby
nursing
homes.
What have those nursing home residents had to say about their quality
of life? Are they satisfied? What sort of
complaints do they have
about the way the facility is run?
· Make a personal visit to the facilities you are considering -
It is in your best interest to drop in unannounced. This will give you
a better idea of how things are typically run. Be sure to ask the
staff questions about safety, cleanliness, recreational activities,
staff qualifications, and any special
medical services
you may need. If possible, ask some of the current residents for any
input they may have. There are a number of thorough checklists
available on the internet that you can bring along with you on your
visit that will help make sure that you get the most from your visit.
There are hundreds of new facilities opening every year. Finding the
right one can be overwhelming. There are a number of professional
organizations available to help you in your search. Attorneys
experienced in the field of elder law are a good place to start.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/finding-a-safe-nursing-home-686543.html
About
the Author:
If you live in the Mobile, Alabama area and are in search of a safe
nursing home, or have questions about the quality and safety records
of local long-term care facilities, please visit the website of
Long & Waite, Attorneys at Law today.
Additional Information and
webpage by Paul Susic MA Licensed
Psychologist Ph.D. Candidate
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