Nursing Home Checklist: Questions To Determine If Your Future Facility Measures Up?

For many families the decision to help a loved one move into a long term care facility is difficult. With elder abuse cases on the rise, it is understandable if you have concerns about a particular nursing home that you're considering for yourself or your loved one. Although the decision may be necessary, you'll obviously want to ensure that you've selected the most reputable facility available. To help you in the process of searching for the perfect long term care facility for your loved ones, here is a list of helpful questions to ask of the facility's administrators and staff. *What is the staff to resident ratio? *Do you run background checks on employees prior to hiring them? *Is there a licensed social worker on staff? *Does the facility have permanent full time nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs)? *How many residents are in each room? *Do residents have easy access to call buttons? *Do residents have easy accessibility to nightstands, lights, etc? *How many residents share a bathroom? *Do residents have options for showering-v-bathing and at what times? *Who plans the meals? Is there a dietician or nutritionist on staff? *Are alternative meals offered? *Does the facility have an outdoor area for use by residents? *How often do the residents' doctors visit the facility? * Where are the results from the last inspection by the Department of Public Health posted? *How is laundry washed and how often? *Does the staff speak other languages in addition to English? *Does the facility have therapists on staff? *Do residents have adequate privacy? These are just some of questions you should ask, when searching for a long term care facility such as a nursing home for your loved ones. Answers to these questions may be obtained over the phone. If the questions don't measure up to your standards, search for a new facility. However, even if the questions are answered to your satisfaction, you'll want to do a personal assessment of the facility with your own eyes. Upon this visit, you will want to take notice of the demeanor of the residents and staff, cleanliness of the facility, quality of furnishing and much more. Christopher C. Walton is a San Diego, California based elder abuse attorney who specializes in advocacy for elders. If you suspect that someone you love is being abused while in a long term facility, report it to your local authorities immediately, and contact a California elder abuse attorney. Chris welcomes questions and provides free, confidential consultations. Contact us at (866) 338-7079 for a free and confidential consultation.