Deciding to place one of your loved ones into a nursing home is far from easy.
As our parents get older, they may require additional care and help that we are simply not able to provide. In these circumstances, the best way to look after them properly is by moving them into an assisted-care facility in our neighborhood.
When you have chosen your top three nursing homes to visit, here are ten expert ways that you can use to make the most of your trip.
Table of Contents
Do A Cleanliness Check
Do a thorough inspection of the cleanliness offered by the nursing home you are visiting. All areas, including all communal spots, should be cleaned multiple times a day. That is the only way to ensure that your loved one will not be unnecessarily exposed to germs and bacteria.
Good cleaning habits are always a vital part of the care process and they should never be ignored. Cleanliness is particularly important now, as the global pandemic rages on in many parts of the world.
Inspect Appliances
As you are touring through the facility, stop and do random checks on appliances and light fittings. Look for loose fixtures or exposed wires that could pose a health hazard to your loved one.
Older people often have trouble lifting their feet as they walk; this means that all walkways and sitting areas should be free from cables or obstructions. Make sure that the lights work, particularly those located in dimly lit areas like the ends of passages and dark corners.
Check Plumbing
Inspect the plumbing facilities of an empty room; this room could be where your loved one will be living so you need to make sure that all is in order. Ensure that there is hot water available in both the kitchen and the bathroom, several facilities are not adequately prepared for the number of residents that they have and there often isn’t enough hot water available for everyone.
You need to make sure that you choose a facility that is prepared and well-resourced.
Ask About Staff Wellness Programs
Ask about the type of staff wellness programs that are offered by the facility you are visiting. There is a constant need amongst nursing home employees to be well looked after because that way they are better able to look after the residents.
Most employees will be happy to tell you all about the issues they have with their employer, provided that they are not in earshot of management. Make sure that the nursing home you are touring has processes in place to look after the health and wellness of its staff.
Interview Employees
When you’re visiting a potential nursing home for a parent or loved one, make sure that you spend a decent amount of time interviewing its employees. Find out about all issues that the employees currently have, as well as any ones from the past, because this information will help you to make your decision.
You must be informed when it comes to the employee grievance policy of that establishment. Most nursing home employee issues that are unresolved can be taken out on the residents.
Ask Management About Incident History
Almost all nursing homes will have had issues with their residents in the past. Ask the manager on duty to detail some of these previous incidents so you can see how or if they resolve issues.
Find out if there have ever been severe issues that have required lawyers because this should be a red flag against that establishment.
Speak To Residents
Before you complete your tour of the establishment, make sure that you spend some time chatting in private with the current residents. If they don’t want to talk to you, or they seem anxious to do so, you need to find out why. If you have a bad feeling about anything during your visit, ask around for answers because most people will be happy to answer your questions.
If your questions are evaded by the manager or met with vague answers, then you need to continue your search for the right nursing home.
Enquire About Activities Offered
All good nursing homes will offer a list of activities to their residents. These activities are specially designed for elderly folks and can include light exercises and mental stimulation. Check with the facility you are touring about the activities that they offer, you will be pleasantly surprised by some of them.
Most great nursing homes have an activities planner that you can interview for more detailed information on this topic.
Ask About Other Homes In The Area
One of the simplest ways to find out if the nursing home you are touring is decent is to ask about other homes in the area. A good nursing home will not be intimidated by the thought of you choosing a different facility because they will know the importance of finding the best fit.
Not all nursing homes are cut from the same cloth; more often than not the more expensive ones will offer a better quality of life to their residents.
Be Honest With Your Feedback
After your tour has concluded, be honest with the feedback you provide. Most nursing home managers are more than willing to learn where their facility needs to focus on improving the experience that is had by its guests.
Don’t be petty with your review; no nursing home is perfect, so if you can see that the problem you spotted is more than likely not going to happen again then you don’t need to make that the focus of your feedback.
Conclusion:-
Choosing a nursing home doesn’t have to be a scary experience. It should be entirely the opposite. Don’t try and force a fit if you know your loved one will not be happy there, that will only make things worse for all of the parties involved at a later stage.
