Sometimes the need for a nursing home comes unexpectedly. Your parent falls or has a serious medical diagnosis and is being discharged from a hospital, but he or she still requires skilled care.
Choosing the right home can be difficult. As with any big decision, it pays to do some research.
First, consider the location. It’s best for the nursing home to be one that family and friends can visit often. People in nursing homes who have regular visitors usually receive better care.
Also, try to visit a few nursing homes — with your parent and other family members, if possible — so you can make comparisons.
When touring a nursing home, remember to:
Observe the activities offered to residents
Taste the food
Make one unscheduled stop on the weekend or evening when there may be staffing problems.
Talk to nursing staff to make sure the kind of care your loved one needs is provided.
Ask about things such as:
Transportation to medical appointments
Physical therapy
Staff with special training for dealing with your parent’s condition
Special units, programs or services for special needs, such as dementia.
Take a check list of questions to ask, with you, to each nursing home you visit. Make sure to label the list with the facility’s name, address, phone number, and fax number, along with the contact person at that facility.
It can be very emotional and stressful looking for a nursing home for your loved one. We at Hitz will try our very best to put you and your family at ease and we promise to be as respectful and considerate as possible, because at Hitz, you’re family!
We have two question lists available for you to download, one has our information pre-printed and the other is blank for any other nursing home you may be considering.
Nursing Home Question List – Hitz Nursing Home Question List – Blank
