Oh, man, the time nobody looks forward to has come – you have to check your loved one into a nursing home. But first, you need to find one that’s high-quality, because it’s bad enough that they’re getting up there in age, you don’t want to ship them off to one that ends up in the crime section of your local newspaper. 

But how do you find one that ticks all the right boxes and then some? There are so many nursing homes; they can’t all be that great, right? Well, unfortunately, that’s the reality. 

Some of them are downright horrific and to keep you from making a huge mistake, we’ll show you what to look for and what to avoid at all costs. Let’s begin!

What to Look for in a Nursing Home

Unless you know exactly what to look for, this process could be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

Keep in mind, you don’t just want basic care – you want quality that goes beyond the bare minimum. 

Attentive, Professional Staff

There’s no quality care without well-trained, compassionate professionals that personally engage with the residents. 

If the nursing home is truly exceptional, staff will know the residents by their names, understand what each of them needs, and take the time to talk to them and form actual relationships. 

In this type of environment, the residents feel safe, comfortable, and valued.

Cleanliness and Safety

Safety and cleanliness go hand in hand, and if the nursing home is exceptional, it goes without saying that it’s extremely clean. 

All rooms have to be maintained, and that also goes for common and dining areas. No clutter and no funky smells. The bedding and linens have to be washed regularly, and the bathrooms need to be sanitized and fresh. 

Not only is a clean space more comfortable to live in, it’s also safer because there’s less risk of infections. The facility also needs to have plenty of handrails, emergency buttons in all rooms, bright lighting, and non-slippery floors. 

Programs for Health and Wellness

An okay nursing home has a few activities, possibly a group exercise session here and there. An exceptional one has wellness programs. 

Therapeutic activities, exercises that are suited for each resident, and regular health check-ups all make the seniors happier and healthier.  

Privacy and Dignity

All residents have the right to privacy and dignity. Staff can’t walk into rooms without knocking because this isn’t a train station. 

Everybody has to respect the residents’ personal spaces and the staff has to be respectable in every way, whether that’s talking, helping with personal care, or something else. 

Communication and Involving the Family

If a nursing home provides exceptional care, they’ll have no problem answering your questions because they’ll have nothing to hide. 

They know they’re doing their jobs properly, so they have no problem being 100% transparent. As a family member, you should be up to date with everything that’s happening, and the staff should ask for your opinion on questions concerning care. 

What to Avoid

Well, if you have common sense, you’ll know what to avoid, right? Not necessarily, because not all red flags are bright red. Some of them are kind of muted. 

What we mean by that is, things that aren’t right won’t be visible right away and you have to know where to look to find what’s off.

Low Ratings and Complaints

Hop online and look through reviews. If it has low CMS ratings and/or a history of complaints, stay away from it. 

For example, Alden Estates of Naperville has a one-star overall rating from CMS, mostly because of low scores in health inspections and the number of staff. This will directly impact the safety and quality of life of the residents, so would you want to live there (or in any such similar facility fro that matter)? No? Neither would your loved one.

Tired, Irritable Staff

If the staff changes all the time, it means that the facility is not a good place to work at. Another issue is when the staff is tired and stressed, which is a result of being stretched too thin because the nursing home is understaffed. Why should you care? Because unhappy staff can’t care properly for the residents. 

Little to No Communication

Those that ignore complaints aren’t committed to resolving issues and don’t know how to handle concerns. They also won’t be able to communicate with the families because they either don’t care or they don’t have enough information, since they can’t be bothered to properly care for the people that live in their establishment. 

Conclusion

Most of your questions should be answered now and you should have a pretty good idea of what to look for. 

However, staring at your computer won’t be enough to really know. Before committing to anything, make sure to take some time and visit the nursing homes you’re interested in. Chat with the staff, ask questions to the point of being annoying, and see how the residents behave. 

Do they seem happy or are they depressed? Are they wearing clean or stained clothes? Does the place smell nice and clean or do you need a gas mask to breathe? Don’t go crazy with investigating, but check the place out thoroughly.

Also, if your loved ones already are in a nursing home that isn’t up to standard, and all your concerns/complaints are being ignored, do consider hiring (at least contacting) a law firm that specializes in such cases. That should clear things up quite nicely!

Your beloved senior deserves it.