When the time comes to find a long-term care facility for yourself or a loved one, there are many important decisions to be made. Depending on where you live, you may or may not have many different nursing homes to choose from. While location and budget are very important factors for most people, there are many other things to consider. You will want to be sure that you are choosing a home that provides a high standard of quality and care. The question then becomes how do I find such a nursing home? Here are some suggestions and things to look for when shopping for a nursing home:

·Is the facility accredited?- Long-term care facilities that are accredited by the Joint Commission have to meet very high quality and safety standards. Such facilities are regularly monitored to ensure that the facility is kept current and that organizational and managerial improvement is a priority. Please visit our page on accredited versus non-accredited nursing homes for a complete discussion.

·How is the nursing home rated?- Any nursing home that accepts payments from the Medicare program is routinely inspected and given a rating based on quality, safety, and performance. These ratings are kept very current and are a good indication of what you can expect from the facility. Incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect will show up on these records.

·Word of mouth- Do not believe everything you read in a nursing home’s self-published marketing literature. Ask friends and family who might know someone that lives in one of the nearby nursing homes. What have those nursing home residents had to say about their quality of life? Are they satisfied? What sort of complaints do they have about the way the facility is run?

·Make a personal visit to the facilities you are considering- It is in your best interest to drop in unannounced. This will give you a better idea of how things are typically run. Be sure to ask the staff questions about safety, cleanliness, recreational activities, staff qualifications, and any special medical services you may need. If possible, ask some of the current residents for any input they may have. There are a number of thorough checklists available on the internet that you can bring along with you on your visit that will help make sure that you get the most from your visit.

There are hundreds of new facilities opening every year. Finding the right one can be overwhelming. There are a number of professional organizations available to help you in your search. Attorneys experienced in the field of elder law are a good place to start.