Life gives you plenty of situations you never want to be in, and one of them is standing in the lobby of a nursing home, trying to decide if this is the place your parents will move into.
Regardless of why they’re moving into a facility, this is never easy, and you’re under a huge amount of pressure because this is a big decision.
Your emotions are all over the place, so you may be tempted to grab onto the first place that looks half-decent. But shiny floors and a smiling receptionist can’t tell you whether they have enough staff to take care of everyone properly and whether the food they serve is edible.
Let me show you what you need to pay attention to.
Questions That Can Tell You More Than Any Brochure
Brochures don’t really tell you a lot, but asking the right questions can tell you everything.
Is There Enough Staff Here?
Nursing homes are notorious for being understaffed, and as you can imagine, that’s a pretty MASSIVE issue. Just imagine one staff member handling (being responsible for) 8-10 residents. That’s just not normal! Nor is it feasible. It’s only logical — too few workers, the quality of care will be low. It’s not exactly rocket science now, is it?
But even if you find a nursing home that has a healthy number of workers, the turnover rates are something that you also need to look up before making any decisions. Think about it — if you’ve got workers constantly leaving the job, that means there’s something wrong. You might not know what’s wrong exactly, but something IS wrong. Plus, new workers mean workers will have bad morale, low training, not enough time to adjust to the new working environment, and all of that reflects poorly on the residents.
Take a tour and pay attention to how the staff members seem.
Does everyone look like they’re rushing? Do they seem stressed?
If they aren’t making eye contact with residents, that’s also a red flag.
How Are Health Issues Handled Day to Day?
Who’s in charge of medical care? Is it a registered nurse or someone else? It’s also smart to ask how often the doctor comes to visit.
Before you sign anything, you should know if there’s access to physical therapists and specialists.
Medications are a huge deal, so ask what the facility does to track doses.
You don’t want mistakes here. Another good thing to check is the protocol for emergencies, like fevers and falls. If you don’t get straight answers right away, leave. There’s no room for compromise when it comes to health issues.
What Does a Typical Day Look Like for Residents?
If you ask this, you’ll usually get an answer like, “Meals are served at these times, and there’s also bingo or chair exercises“.
That’s fine, but what happens for the rest of the time??
There are some facilities that encourage their residents to socialize, and you’ll notice this by their open common areas and staff inviting residents to join in.
Then there are facilities that let their residents sit in their rooms all day.
Of course, it all comes down to personal choice, but not many elders want to be left alone 24/7.
How Are the Residents Kept Safe?
Ask about how falls are prevented because broken hips are pretty common in nursing homes. You want to see bed alarms, grab bars, floors that prevent slipping, and a plan for helping residents who try to get up on their own.
Again, you want clear, straight answers, and you want to hear them without hesitation.
Building security is another important factor because some residents have dementia, so it is important to find out what they do to keep people from wandering off. You should ask about emergency plans for fires and storms, too, and about how the facility lets families know about safety concerns.
Keep in mind that vague answers are a sign to walk away.
How Easy Is It for Families to Stay Involved?
Ask about updates. They can be done through emails, phone calls, personal visits, and so on. If you live far away, this is something that’s incredibly important.
You should also join in on any discussions that involve plans for care, especially if something’s changing.
Overall, you should feel welcome there, so if the facility makes you feel like you’re annoying them, they’re probably hiding something. Those who do things by the book are open and honest, and they’ll give you straight answers.
It’s important to know that, even if something goes wrong, you can always contact a law firm that specializes in nursing homes, such as Nursing Home Law Center, to make sure the facility is kept accountable for its actions.
Do Personal Preferences Get Taken Into Account?
Since the nursing home will be an actual home for your loved one, they probably won’t feel too comfortable with a rigid schedule.
Ask if the residents are allowed to wake up and go to bed as they please, and if the kitchen pays attention to preferences when it comes to food. Privacy is a big one, as well, so ask if the staff knocks before they enter a room.
A good facility doesn’t treat all its residents the same because it’s not running an assembly line.
If you notice even a whiff of that happening, you don’t want to leave your loved one there.
Conclusion
Living in a nursing home can actually be a blessing for both the resident and their family.
It’s completely possible to enjoy life in a facility if you know which questions to ask before moving in. The thing to remember is that, before you sign anything, it’s totally fine to ask a gazillion questions and be as annoying as you want.
We’re talking about a member of your family, after all, and you can never be too safe.