If the task of choosing a nursing home for an elderly parent or family member has fallen on your shoulders, you might be overwhelmed. It is not easy to find something that will make everybody happy and also give you the peace of mind that the person will be safe and well cared for.
The obvious place to start is to decide on the area. Ideally it would be close to you or other family members so that you can regularly visit and assist with problems or other necessary tasks. You will also be able to drop in at any time which allows you to pick up possible problems quickly.
Continuously consult with everyone involved and take the wishes of the elderly person into consideration.
Once you have decided on a specific area you can start looking around for available facilities. Popular facilities might be full and have a waiting list. If the move is not desperate, you can try the waiting list at your preferred facility. Don’t, however, depend on it and consider some other facilities as well.
Look on the internet, ask friends or family who have parents in nursing homes, gather brochures and start a shortlist of possible places.
Create a checklist or find one on the internet, with specific things you should look at when visiting the facility. If you ever had to search for a perfect pre-school for a child, you might find you are going to look at more or less the same things. As much as you wanted your child to be safe and happy, you want the elderly person to be safe and definitely happy.
The next step is to visit the nursing home. First impressions are always good to go by. Even consider showing up a bit earlier than what your appointment was scheduled for. You don’t want to arrive at a perfect picture that was specifically created for your benefit. While you are waiting you will have time to look around and even talk to some of the other residents.
Your senses are always a good measure to go by. Dreary décor and strange smells should alert you. While this is not a play school, the way a place looks has an effect on the spirits of the people living there. Strange smells such as urine or stale smells should immediately alert you that the facility is understaffed.
Be vigilant, though polite, with your questions and make sure you find out everything you need to know.
Visit again and again, if you still have concerns. Do this at different times of the day and unannounced. People who have nothing to hide will usually not mind to assist you when they have a chance.
