Tips for helping an elderly parent find a good nursing home

On Behalf of | May 15, 2018 | Elder Law And Medicaid Planning

If the time comes to help your elderly parent find a good nursing home, it’s imperative that you know which steps to take. You also want to learn more about the process as a whole, as any mistake could have a negative impact on the health and well-being of your loved one.

Most people come to find that there are a variety of nursing home facilities in their area, all of which deserve a closer look.

As you begin the process, here are some tips that could help:

  • Visit more than one nursing home. It’s easy to assume that the first facility you visit is the best one — or easiest to select since you’ve done the work of investigating it already — but that’s not always the case. You should do your best to visit a minimum of three, as this will give you a clear idea of the pros and cons of each one.
  • Learn more about the food. What does it look like? How does it taste? Is there any reason to believe your parent won’t eat?
  • Focus on what you see and hear. Don’t walk into a nursing home with the idea that you’ll ask a few questions and leave. Keep your eyes and ears open, as you want to know what’s going on. Even better, visit at different times of the day to get a clear idea of how things work.
  • Focus on the staff. Are there enough people working? Are they doing their job or standing around talking? Is the staff relatively happy, or do you see a lot of people moping around?
  • Learn more about the types of activities that are available. Your parent isn’t moving into a nursing home to sit around and watch television all day. They should have access to a variety of activities, all with the idea of keeping them active and helping them meet other people.

These are just a few of the many tips you can follow to help an elderly parent find a good nursing home.

This may be one of the more difficult things you’ll ever have to do, but taking the right approach and understanding the finer details of elder law could make it easier on you and your family.

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