Choosing
a Nursing Home
by Marshall
Loeb, CBS Marketwatch
February
10, 2003
Choosing
a nursing home for yourself or a family member can be tough. Here are some
things to keep in mind when you visit potential facilities, according to
the U.S. government's "Nursing Home Checklist":
-
Try to make more than one visit, at different times
of day. That way you can see how the place runs at various times. Try to
make at least one visit on a weekend or during dinnertime, when homes can
be understaffed and residents neglected.
-
Find out how much individual nursing care residents
receive, and whether they get preventive care, such as flu shots. Also
check that the home has an arrangement with a nearby hospital for emergencies.
-
Trust your senses, and pay special attention to how
the place looks and smells. If it doesn't look and smell clean, then it
probably isn't. Notice if residents are well groomed, and dressed appropriately
for the weather. And check that the temperature in the home is kept at
a comfortable level.
-
Make sure that all exits are clearly marked, and there
is an emergency evacuation plan and regular fire drills. There should be
ample working smoke detectors and sprinklers.
There is a also a US Government
website to help you pick a good nursing home for yourself or a loved one.
The Nursing Home Compare tool on the Medicare
website allows you to research more than 17,000 Medicare-certified nursing
homes across the country. It tells you how many residents live at
the home and how many hours of nursing care each resident receives on a
daily basis, and it allows you to compare these numbers to national and
state averages.
The
site also contains details about all inspector complaints against the facility,
such as staffing errors or safety concerns. You can see if harm was done,
how many people were affected and when the problem was corrected.
Keep
in mine that the site lists only facilities certified by Medicare or Medicaid.
There are plenty of good homes out there that may not be in the database.
These data are very helpful for screening homes, but be sure to visit the
facility before making a decision.