How To Evaluate a Nursing Home’s Safety and Care Standards

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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How To Evaluate a Nursing Home’s Safety and Care Standards

Nursing homes can range from basic assisted living facilities that provide essential care to sprawling residential living complexes that provide luxury amenities. While most nursing homes provide high levels of care, there is always the risk of abuse taking place. Sadly, looks can sometimes be deceiving. Even a newly furnished nursing home could have people on staff who neglect vulnerable seniors or subject them to mistreatment.

Knowing how to evaluate a nursing home to ensure that the staff upholds high safety standards is critical when you are seeking a new home for a loved one. Fortunately, you can feel more confident about the program and facility you choose when you walk through these steps to do your due diligence.

Start With an Online Search

Seniors and their families benefit from being able to explore nursing homes with a few quick clicks. Starting your research online can give you valuable insight into the current status of a nursing home by providing you with verifiable data. Naturally, you’ll want to make sure to begin your searches using reputable sources.

For example, Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare tool allows you to check out nursing homes that might be covered by your loved one’s insurance plan. Here, you can find a star-based rating system that makes it easier to begin narrowing down your options. This tool also allows you to see separate ratings for categories that include current health inspections, staffing ratios and other pertinent information. You’ll also find detailed information regarding why a facility has a specific score, such as a poor staff-to-resident ratio or a lack of an up-to-date fire sprinkler system.

Browsing through your state’s inspection reports can also reveal information about possible issues a nursing home has had in the past. Failing inspections or having frequent reports of abuse or neglect are clear red flags that a facility might not have the best interests of the residents in mind.

My Nursing Home Abuse Guide can also be a helpful resource for families who are looking for more information on protecting loved ones in nursing homes.

Take an On-Site Tour

Once a nursing home passes your checks online, it’s time to head to its doors to see the facility in person. On-site tours give you a chance to use all five senses to determine the overall safety of the home. For instance, you might need to worry about foul odors that could indicate the residents are receiving assistance with hygiene care in a timely manner.

During your tour, be prepared to ask lots of questions about the safety measures in place. Seeing security cameras, clean bathrooms and bedrooms, along with a well-staffed facility, are all great signs that your loved one will receive proper care.

Seek Feedback and Continue Monitoring

Evaluating a nursing home should continue even after the senior moves into the facility. Paying attention to signs of neglect, such as unusual injuries or extreme weight loss, can help you know when to reach out to a nursing home abuse lawyer.

If your loved one vocalizes their concerns, then remember to take them seriously. While a senior might complain about a meal that they don’t like, you should notice that your loved one is generally happy and shows signs of care. Being willing to be an advocate for any senior who is experiencing neglect helps to ensure that nursing homes uphold their commitment to provide residents with all of the care they need to enjoy a high quality of life.

In a perfect world, every senior would live in a safe nursing home that nurtures their well-being. Yet, it’s also important to know that there are multiple safeguards in place to help you ensure that your loved one stays mentally and physically well. Once you’ve identified a quality nursing home, you should see your loved one thrive after they move in. Making sure to visit and ask questions that they can answer to the best of their ability helps you know that your loved one is in a safe place where they can feel secure each day.