How to Choose Nursing Home Care for Your Elder Parents
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Nursing home care is not something we like to think about for our elderly parents, but having that conversation early on can save us a lot of headaches down the road.
Although nursing homes now have a new quality-rating system, some experts state that it fails to address one question: Are the residents who live there happy?
To find out, Gale Doll, director of Kansas State University, Center on Aging, states that consumers should visit the facility during breakfast hours. And if some residents are eating, and some are still sleeping, there’s a good chance that the residents can determine their own schedules.
Doll also states that the freedoms that make many people happy, like having a pet, enjoying a cocktail, or decorating their room, aren’t reflected in the ratings either.
“The choice of a nursing home usually comes when someone is in the hospital, and often times the doctor makes a suggestion or one is chosen based on convenience of location,” Doll said. “What we’re trying to get people to understand is that they need to have this conversation long before the need occurs.”
Here are questions you need to ask when researching a nursing home to make sure the nursing home you choose is people-centered:
* Are schedules built around an individual resident’s wishes, not staff preferences or arbitrary policies? Do residents choose when and how often to bathe? Can they get a snack or drink from the kitchen in between meals? Can they get a preferred food item? Are visitors welcome at any time?
* Are the same staff members routinely working with the same resident? What’s the turnover rate for staff? Ask direct-care staff how they like their job.
* How well is the privacy of residents respected? Are there places where residents can be alone? Does staff knock and ask permission before entering a room?
* Are residents engaged in activities on the weekends when regular staff is gone?
Kansas State University researchers also suggest the book:
The New Nursing Homes: A 20-minute way to find great long-term care
The book is written by Marilyn Rantz, Lori Popejoy and Mary Zwygart-Stauffacher. It includes questions to consider during a walk-through of a nursing home, while interviewing staff members and when talking with family members of other residents.
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