Four Factors To Consider When Choosing A Nursing Home
Taking a family member to a nursing home is a very difficult decision and can be accompanied by feelings of guilt, sadness and even a certain sense of helplessness. In addition, the bad publicity that some nursing homes have received, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, is making the relatives who must make this decision feel even worse.
If you determine that a nursing home is the best option, the first step is to do a first search in a residence comparator. Contact the various residences and choose the one that interests you.
There are various retirement community Central Florida homes that you can choose from.
Here are five factors to consider when choosing a nursing home. Check them out.
- Care And Services
It is important that staff are familiar with the common problems associated with dementia. Ask what kinds of programs are offered to residents and how individual care plans are developed. Give concrete examples of what you are experiencing in terms of behaviors or challenges caused by your loved one’s disease, to discover what responses you are given to these situations. Ask them to show you the specific care program for seniors living with certain diseases.
- Personnel
Talk to staff members who work directly with residents to see if they are competent, friendly, and happy with their jobs. Does the nursing home conduct background checks on staff? See how residents are treated and if they get help when they ask for it. Please note if the person giving you a tour of the residence knows the residents by name and is recognized by them.
In addition, meet with the director, with the head of nursing or with the social worker, ask them to explain which is the team of professionals that has the residence. Ask about things like how many people each attendant cares for and how the facility is serviced on weekends and evenings.
Ask how many nursing hours a day they have. Do registered nurses and aides always work with the same residents? Is there a doctor on staff at the residence?
- Cost And Contract Model Of The Residence
Make sure all costs are clearly described and you understand them before making a decision. Ask for the contract model that you will have to sign to make sure you know all the details: what services come in, what fee will be paid per month, from when it will start to compute, how it will end, etc.
At the family level, they will need to address how costs will be covered and whether paying for them will create a financial burden for family members.
- Meals and Activities.
Check if the food is healthy and suitable for the elderly. Can residents choose their meals? In cases of dysphagia, do you offer the possibility of textured menus? Do staff help residents eat and drink if necessary? Find out what services and activities are included in the rate: for example, is rehabilitation included in the monthly rate? And other services such as hairdressing, chiropody, accompaniments to the doctor, are they available? What additional costs do they have?
Finally, make sure there are creative social activities in addition to supervised daily exercise. Outdoor areas or a garden prepared for the use of the residents should also be available. We hope these tips will be helpful in your search for nursing homes .
