How to Select a Nursing Home for Your Loved One

As family members age, you may be responsible for finding a facility to care for them and their health needs. It can feel overwhelming, and you may be unsure how to select a nursing home for your loved one. Your primary goal is to verify the facility’s background, reputation, and ability to provide treatment in a caring and responsible way.

Choosing the Right Nursing Home Can Feel Intimidating

If someone you love can no longer safely live on their own, the thought of placing them in a nursing home might be frightening. Residents at nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to elder abuse because they do not have an advocate around all the time to look after their well-being. Because of this, it’s important to know how best to select a nursing home to prevent your loved one from becoming a victim of elder abuse.

Nursing Home Selection Tips

Your first step should be to gather information from a variety of sources. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends starting by asking your family member about their needs and wants for a facility. Help them clarify what they would like in terms of meals, activities, social interaction, and climate.

From there, follow these tips for selecting the best nursing home for your loved one:

• Ask family members and friends for their recommendations.
• Contact local religious institutions or senior support groups for their suggestions.
• Call each facility you’re considering and request a tour.
• Prepare a list of questions for your visit so you don’t forget any important topics.
• Ask the administrators about their licensing, education, and staff requirements.
• Visit each location a second time without calling ahead.
• Look for any past complaints against the institution that were filed with state or federal agencies.
• Research previous lawsuits filed against the facility.
• Review the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Nursing Home Reports for complaints against each facility.
• Examine staff turnover and the staff-to-resident ratio.
• Visit the Medicare comparison website to compare facilities in your area.

While you want your family member to feel comfortable in their new home, it’s also important to make sure they will get the medical care they need. Most people stay in a nursing home for the rest of their life, so their care needs usually grow over time. You want a facility that can meet those needs without problems.

What to Look for When You Visit Potential Nursing Homes

The Internet can be an excellent source of information about nursing homes, including reviews, pictures, and testimonials. However, it’s crucial that you go there in person and see it for yourself. You’re not only looking for a clean, well-managed facility, but you’re also looking at the residents to answer questions such as:

• Do they seem happy and comfortable?
• Do they appear to be well cared for and as healthy as they could be?
• Do you see any signs of unsanitary conditions?
• Does the food appear well-prepared and healthful?
• Can the kitchen satisfy any dietary restrictions your loved one has?
• Does the staff treat patients and visitors with kindness?
• Does the staff appear to perform their jobs in accordance with the medical standard of care?

It’s also important for the nursing home to have regular activities that residents enjoy. Even simple activities can tell you a lot about the quality of care. For example, check what TV shows are playing. If the staff chooses shows they like instead of what the residents enjoy, it may be a sign that they aren’t paying attention to the residents’ needs.

Potential Red Flags to Consider When Visiting Nursing Homes

When they know someone is visiting to consider the facility, nursing home staff may act extra friendly and try to hide any problems. That’s why you should take your time during that initial tour and show up for a second visit without notice. You have a better chance of discovering red flags or signs that you don’t want to trust them with your family member.

Staffing and Management Issues

If you discover that nursing or other staff members leave after a short time of employment, it could indicate that the facility doesn’t hire enough people or overworks them. Nursing home caregiving is a physically and emotionally exhausting job, and employees who are tired or stressed out may not be able to provide adequate care. You should also look out for workers who seem anxious, disengaged, or dismissive towards the patients.

Management is often the root cause of any staffing or dissatisfaction issues in a work environment. If they are not holding staff accountable, forcing them to work too much with too little pay, or pressuring them to cut costs, you probably don’t want your loved one there.

Cleanliness Issues

Hygiene and sanitation protocols are very important in nursing homes, so overflowing trash cans and dirty dishes can indicate health and safety issues. While you can expect some odors due to some residents being incontinent, a persistent bad smell could indicate a facility-wide cleanliness issue. Without proper training and enforcement, staff members could put residents at risk of infection or other illnesses.

In addition, an unclean environment is detrimental to the residents’ mental health and well-being. No one wants to live in a dirty home, especially if they aren’t able to care for themselves or their rooms without staff assistance.

Lack of Compassion Towards Residents

Nursing and other staff who don’t treat patients with respect, care, and professionalism are a big issue, since they may be prone to allowing or committing nursing home abuse. If the staff doesn’t recognize your loved one’s humanity, they are less likely to protect their dignity or take their concerns seriously. All of these can lead to physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse.

Staff members should interact with residents with kindness and treat them as equals. This helps your loved one feel valued and able to speak up for themselves. Otherwise, they may be afraid to tell you if they aren’t being treated well.

Inadequate Equipment

While you may not expect full hospital-level care in a nursing home, it’s vital that beds, pharmacies, care rooms, and other spaces be in good repair and functional. Look for broken handrails, unsafe furniture, poor lighting, slippery floors, and a lack of security measures. If the facility doesn’t use cameras to monitor public areas, staff could overlook a patient who has fallen and needs help.

Part of this monitoring should include keeping a log of everyone who enters the facility. Outside contractors, visitors, and inspectors may put patients at risk of harm or abuse. Staff should also keep watch on all residents and report any behavior that endangers employees or other patients.

Insufficient Nutrition

Fighting off illness or worsening health conditions depends on getting the nutrition you need. This is especially true for nursing home residents, who depend on what comes from the kitchen to stay well or recover. If they are getting food that isn’t nutritionally adequate or isn’t at the right temperature, it could affect their desire to eat and stay healthy.

Many residents need assistance to eat, and without it, could go hungry or get sick. If the food preparation areas or dining rooms aren’t kept clean, infection could spread throughout the facility. Without enough staff members who have the necessary training, your loved one’s life could be at risk.

Lopez McHugh Should Be Your First Choice for Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

If, despite your best efforts, you or a loved one experiences nursing home abuse, retain the services of nursing home abuse lawyers who can confront those responsible in a court of law. The nursing home abuse lawyers at Lopez McHugh LLP can help determine negligence and get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and put a stop to the abuse.