Choosing a Skilled Nursing Facility
Choosing the right skilled nursing facility is vital to the health and well-being of your loved one. When you are ready to begin the process of finding the right nursing facility call facilities in your community to arrange for representatives to show you around and answer your questions. You can use our email form located in the Contact section of each facility page to contact our facility administrators and admissions directors. As you walk around the facility, use all of your senses. Are the rooms, lounges and dining areas clean and well-kept? Do you smell any bad odors indicating that the facility's housekeeping and patient care are not up to par? Note that sometimes heavy air fresheners may be substitutes for conscientious care and maintenance. Try to visit around lunch or dinner. Meals are very important to the medical and social well-being of patients. Food should be attractive, diverse, and well prepared, and staff members should assist those who need help eating.
It is often useful to have a list of questions so you won't forget any important factors. You can use the following Nursing Home Checklist for this purpose and add any personal issues that are important to you. Bring this to each facility you visit and take notes for comparison. Set aside time with your loved one and other family members to review the different offerings. Check with staff as to their availability should there be any questions post-visit.