Need recommendation!

Don't know about US but here you can find info on nursing homes on-line.Suggest you do a google search of your area and see what it comes up with.

Yes! Of course, there is a site called http://www.nursinghomecenters.org/ which provides all selective information related to nursing home. Hope this will help you out.

Good luck!

Here is a nice site that allows you to find a Nursing home and tells you about previous violations of the nursing home. Good luck here is the link.

http://www.medicare.gov/Nursing/Overview.asp

Dennis

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/need-recommendation-247352.html

Here is a link to a previous post you posted with some replies

Hope it helps

Check with local better business bureau. Check the facility itself in person. Look for residents who are actively engaged in activities, and "interview" these folks if they're willing to speak with you. There will be other family members around, ask them about the facility. Are they happy with the place? Look on the internet for healthcare surveys which are conducted periodically by an independent entitiy. These surveys show information about problems the facility has been asked to address. Don't judge a facility based on the beautiful decor whatever you do, judge it based on the safety of its clients, and their overall well being. If you know a nurse, ask her or him to come with you and "check it out" you don't want to take "the tour" that the facility will offer, you want to investigate on your own. As a businessman, you realize I'm sure that they will be on their best behavior when they know you're coming...I've worked in several nursing homes and wasn't terribly impressed I'll admit. There are good ones out there too, but they're in my opinion, hard to find. Another consideration, would it be possible to let them stay home with nurses/aids doing visits? Some states allow clients to remain in their homes and recieve visiting staff. It saves the state money, and most people stay healthier when they stay at home. Less risk of facility acquired infection for instance, and more personalized care. I highly recommend that you ask about that if it's feasible. In Ohio medicare will pay for the homecare and so do some of the private insurance companys. I work as an independent nurse myself, and my boss IS the client, they can hire and fire their own staff. This allows the client to be in control and they love it. In a nursing home, on the other hand, mom and dad get whoever's on that day. It may be an agency nurse, (unfamiliar with the facility itself, never mind your parents) or a recent grad who has little experience and no support in her first job. You could get lucky with a nursing home, but in my opinion your loved ones would be happier and better off in their own home. Good luck and pm with any questions if you like. If you want to check availablity of home care in your situation, talk with a social worker or the doctor and see if you can find out about it. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Your state should also have a website that you can check out info regarding their inspections, incidents, etc. That is usually helpful as well.

i'm going to give you a couple of links.

the first one is awfully long but is the site of medicare.gov, where "nursing home compare" was created.

if this link doesn't work, then i've provided another one, with the same results.

best of everything.

http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Include/DataSection/Questions/SearchCriteria.asp?version=default&browswer=IE%7C7%7CWinXP&language=English&defaultstatus=0&pagelist=Home&CookiesEnabledStatus=True

http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/nursinghome_start.html

leslie

very difficult decision facing you..take it slow and talk with aides and verbal patients . this may be frowned upon by administrators

after you find a place, drop in or have someone you trust drop in at different times of the day

eat a meal or two and see if this is something you would want served to you

walk down the hall and see if you notice oders, note if the employees are working and doing their job and not talking and gossiping among themselves

there are state reports that are required to be available to any one who wants to read them, it will tell you the level of falls, bed sores..

find out what the ratio of caregivers to resident..some facilities will include office workers, maintence, housekeepers, dietary which should be enough to assure the job is done but these people should not be included as caregivers

i agree with above post that care at home is best but i know that this is not always possible

All great ideas! Please, please, please follow through!

In addition, be sure to pay particular attention to the facility up-keep and cleanliness as well. Odor? Check-out the soap dispensers..do they work? What does the linen look like? Does the toilet leak? Is the trash overflowing? Are the walls chipped and marked? Is the paint old and dirty? Are the walls clean? How about the floors? Is there enough room for your parents and their things...w/c, walker, cane, TV, chair...in a resident room. Look at the water pitchers. Are they clean? Is the water cool? Don't be afraid to snoop, ask questions, come unannounced at anytime.

Do you see friendly, family type interactions between residents and staff? Are residents and staff clean and neat? What are the staffing ratios? (not just on paper, but, on actual timeclock) Is the atmosphere rushed and chaotic or do you observe unhurried, pleasant conversation between residents and staff? Anyone smiling?...believe it or not this may be an indicator of the facility tone.

Observe the care flow during an evening's treatment and med pass. Are there enough staff members to attend to everyone properly (in your own determination) during this time?

Check out the food...important as well! Is it adaquate? Is it nutritious? Is it enough? What's that food served on? Paper plates 24/7? Old plastic glasses that look like a garage sale find? How are meals served? Family style, buffet, or dipped-up by the kitchen staff with a tiny icecream scoop? What's on the menu for the month? Who serves....Nursing or kitchen/dining staff? Inquire about snacks.

Make it a point to visit ALL the units in the Nursing Home, not just the one your parents would be assigned to. Do your own assessment on each one. So many facilities will put the "pretty", well maintained units in the areas that get the most public traffic. YOU WANT TO SEE THEM ALL!

Look, listen, learn, and research. Trust your "gut" instincts.

There ARE good Nursing Homes out there. It's up to you to find one.

Rest assured there are some really nasty ones out there, too.

Good luck to you as you search.

ABOUT COSTS: you'll have to be wise to catch all the costs. When I was looking for my Mom a few yrs. ago I found the costs to vary a few thousand dollars a month. What I actually discovered is how they list these costs. Some will be all inclusive of services and supplies. Others will give a base rate and then an ancillary list of costs should more be needed such as: use of a w/c (yep, if it's only for a sit outside once a month), a box of kleenex, a bottle of lotion, resident bathing, laundry, a trip to the Dr.'s office....etc.

Again, good luck to you!

Definitely don't go by decor. The nursing home where I have spent most of my nursing career is by outward appearances very humble and plain, but people have also commented it is the cleanest nursing home they've been in with no foul smells whatsoever. Also, the rate of skin breakdown is very very low (even though the facility uses diapers!)

Also, it is obvious to me the nursing home is more concerned with the care its patients receive than money, this is partly due to the same people owning it since the 60's and the DON who has been there as long.

But these services aren't cheap by any means. And now I'm going to talk about what a lot of other people will put me down for mentioning because expenses should not be spared when it comes to seeing our loved ones are cared for but anyone who has actually been faced with the cold hard facts knows differently... If you are private pay expect to fork out $4500-$6000+ monthly for each parent.

Medicare does not pay for a nursing home except in the cases of rehab and even then it only pays for 100 days. Long term (unless your parents had nursing home insurance) you will have to use Medicaid. To qualify for Medicaid, your parents will have to exhaust all their resources down to something like, $2500 before Medicaid will kick in. If they own a place worth say, 300K, the house will be auctioned off and that money used to care for them until it runs out, then they can apply for Medicaid. Part of the spend down includes any stocks and bonds, savings...any kind of assets. And they cannot simply transfer this property to family because there is a 5 yr. look back period on any transfers. If your parents transfer their property to you and need a nursing home before 5 yrs. is up then the government via "Adult Protective Services" (don't even get me started on that) will call it a forced property transfer and will be knocking on your door.

Even if they don't transfer their property to you and any inheritance or legacy they hoped to leave their family gets properly sucked up by Medicaid and the nursing home if you live in one of 31 states that have enacted the filial responsibility laws you will still be responsible to pay for their care. This means like, if they exhausted all their resources and go on Medicaid, when they are gone the government will come looking to you to pay off what it cost Medicaid to take care of them. If you can't pay cash they will put a lein on your property so they can recoup what they spent (at least some of it) that way. And they will do it, too.

Perhaps you are a millionaire and can pay for their care, but either way get out your wallet because taking care of old people is expensive.