If electing to place your elderly parent in a nursing home is the most difficult decision you have faced recently, picking the right facility is undoubtedly a close second. After all, not all nursing homes provide the same level of care.
When you are searching for the perfect nursing home, you can probably narrow your choices by referring to Medicare’s nursing home ratings. Eventually, though, you should tour all facilities you are considering. If you see any of the following three red flags, you may want to cross the nursing home off your list.
1. Excessive noise
If your aging parent has mostly lived in a single-family home, excessive noise may make the nursing home an uncomfortable place to be. While some noise is normal during busy times, your mother or father should have enough peace and quiet to enjoy his or her everyday life.
2. Poor interactions
Staff at the nursing home should have pleasant and prompt interactions with residents. If nurses or other professionals behave rudely or ignore resident needs, you are probably better off finding a different facility.
3. Absent oversight
Nursing home administrators should know what is going on at their facilities. If administrators prefer to stay in their offices, they may not be able to identify pressing issues. Consequently, you should look for a facility that has an administrator who takes a hands-on approach to his or her duties.
You may not be able to spot all potential red flags during a single nursing home visit. Ultimately, planning a few visits to each prospective nursing home at different times throughout the day may boost your chances of picking a facility that can meet your parent’s needs.
Kevin Tharpe
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