Choosing a Nursing Home

The most important factor in choosing a nursing home can only be determined by you. It could be location of the nursing home, the doctor on staff, if the nursing home accepts Medicaid, has long-term care, etc. Begin with your most important requirement then go from there. Word of mouth is a good place to start but not to rely on.

There is no substitution for visiting the nursing homes and requesting a tour. It’s a good idea to visit the homes several times , on a different day and at a different time. Talk to the staff whenever you can, starting with the director, then talk with nurses, aides, nutritionists, physical therapists and janitorial maintenance. Get as much information from as many people as you can. Ask what improvements if any, have been made in the last year and what new improvements, if any are proposed for the future. You can also talk to the residents but you will realize that some of them don’t have all their faculties.

Medicare has an excellent website where you can compare nursing homes and get ratings of the home’s care, staff, cleanliness and overall performance.

Don't forget to...

• Get brochures from each nursing home

• Write down the name of the person who gave the tour and their capacity

• Make notes from each nursing home

These steps will make it easier to keep track of who said what and where! It also helps to write your notes directly onto the brochure. Believe me, after looking at so many homes, your memory starts playing tricks on you.

If your parent has not already applied for Medicaid, then you must get that application filed immediately; approval is a slow process. Without Medicaid the cost of the nursing home will be the responsibility of the patient or family members. Medicaid is jointly funded by State and Federal governments. To apply for Medicaid, you must contact your State government.
Here are just a few of the documents that Medicaid will require:

• Bank statements. We had to provide statements going back 10 years

• Birth certificate. They will not accept a copy of a birth certificate. It can be a duplicate but it must have the official seal

• Parents' marriage license

• Death certificate if the spouse has passed away

My mother liked having a phone handy so she carried it with her everywhere.  This Jitterbug5 cell phone is perfect for seniors, in or out of a nursing home.

It has large buttons with a backlight, the numbers show up large on the screen, it's hearing aid compatible and has a dedicated 5Star button for immediate access to a medical alert service.

My mother also liked carrying things with her as she walked throughout the nursing home.  I know fanny packs date back to the 1980's but they're perfect for a senior to carry small items.  My mother had her cell phone, reading glasses, tissues, a pencil and a few other things in her fanny pack.  They're lightweight and easy to reach.

Some nursing homes look and smell like a hospital. We saw plenty of those homes during our search and we always turned around and walked out. My sister and I felt that the home we chose would be a home with nursing care, not a hospital.