What does Good Nursing Home Care Looks Like?

If you have to admit your aging parent or a loved one into a nursing home due to a long-term illness you wish, hope and expect, that they will receive good care. However, what is good long-term care look like? An article published in the New York Times attempts to describe some of the characteristics of good care in nursing homes:

• Staff members who are well-trained in gerontology
• Sufficient aides to help patients with activities like feeding
• Caring and respect devoted to each resident by facility personnel
• Staff who receive sufficient supervision from managers
• Medical attention by doctors and skilled nurses which is frequent and lasting
• Staff who enjoy taking care of older people
• Continuity of care — contact with the same physicians both in and out of the facility.

Also,  seek out a nursing home that provides good care:

1. Investigate deficiencies.
2. Choose quality over location.
3. Monitor the care. Don’t assume you can depend on the facility to make sure the patient receives proper care. Visit often at various times, including nights, weekends and holidays, when the staff members on duty may not be the most experienced. Make sure medications are given at the right times and check on the amount of food and fluids the patient is actually consuming, since malnutrition and dehydration are common hazards in nursing homes and can be fatal..
4. Hire a care manager. If no one nearby is able to assist a nursing home patient

Consider hiring Senior Life Care Planning who can serve as family liaison. We can visit your loved one, evaluate and monitor the situation, advocate for them, and keep you informed to provide you with peace of mind.