When a person is aging and no longer able to take care of his or her day-to-day needs, the right decision for long-term care must be made. Often, senior citizens do not want to accept the fact that they can no longer care for themselves. They may feel that they are a burden to their relatives and that they are failing themselves.
There is no more difficult but important task than finding proper placement for a loved one in a nursing facility. No one wants to live in a nursing home. Typically, the search begins under crisis or time constraints: the loved one is in the hospital about to be discharged for rehabilitation or the caregiver(s) simply cannot continue.
Before you begin on your journey to find the proper placement for your loved one, remember these simple suggestions:
- Location to the family. The location of the nursing facility in proximity and convenience to the family is important. Moving to a nursing home is a traumatic experience for most families. No other single factor to quality of life is as important as family visits.
- Research the facility. From getting references to checking certifying agency reports, do a little research into the facility where you will place a loved one. There are also various reports from unbiased sources that give nursing homes ratings and evaluations.
- Tour the facility. Call and schedule a tour of the nursing home. Once you are there, talk to staff, ask questions about routine and scheduling, take note of the residents’ activities and environment overall. Ask for a copy of the patient’s rights. Talk to the residents, ask how they are, what their day is like, and how they like the food.
Determining which nursing home is right for your loved one is a tough decision. The team at Mayhone Elder Law has the knowledge and experience to help families find appropriate placement options for their situation.
You do not have to face these concerns alone.