Do’s and Don’t for Choosing the Right Nursing Care Facility

Choosing the right skilled nursing care facility for your loved one can be a very difficult task. It is an emotional time for the whole family, and you just want to make sure you make the right decision, so that your loved one can live out the rest of their years in happiness and comfort.

Make sure you re not overwhelmed by the process of selecting a skilled nursing care facility for your loved one, and just place them in the first facility you find. Do your research, and you will be satisfied that you have chosen the right skilled nursing care facility. Here are some do’s and don’t for how to choose a nursing home.

DO

• DO visit several facilities – It’s going to know your options, so make sure you look at several facilities, and compare their attributes. It’s also an absolute must to actually visit the facility to get a good feel for it, see what kind of nursing home activities they offer. Don’t just look on their website or call and talk to someone.
• DO check out the staff – What is the ratio of staff to residents? Are they spread too thin? Do they seem friendly and helpful? Speak to current residents and find out what they really think of the staff.
• DO read everything carefully before you sign it – Make sure you understand all of the terms before you sign a contract for a particular facility. The cost of nursing home care is already high, you don’t want to end up paying other hidden charges.

DON’T

• DON’T let your emotions get the best of you – Looking at skilled care nursing facilities can be overwhelming, especially when you are likely concerned about the health of your loved one. You want to make the right decision, but the only way to do that is if you are focused and clear-headed, and examining all the facts.
• DON’T just pick the closest place – It may be tempting to pick the facility closest to your loved one’s former home, or closest to your own home, so you can visit often. However, that doing so blindly doesn’t guarantee that your loved one will receive the best care. Look at several different homes in the area, and choose which one is best.
• DON’T take anyone at their word – Don’t be fooled by the show the nursing home will try to put on on your scheduled visit. they will try to show off all the best attributes of the facility, and ignore any bad ones. Ask lots of questions, and if you have a bad feeling about something, trust your gut. Pay an unscheduled visit, to see how the place is really run.

This is a great source for more: www.croftoncrc.com