{"id":46597,"date":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skolnicklaw.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/how-can-you-check-out-a-nursing-homes-quality\/"},"modified":"2023-12-28T12:21:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T17:21:24","slug":"how-can-you-check-out-a-nursing-homes-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skolnicklaw.com\/how-can-you-check-out-a-nursing-homes-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"How can you check out a nursing home\u2019s quality?"},"content":{"rendered":"
With the horror stories you see in the news about poor-quality nursing home care, it\u2019s entirely understandable if you have qualms about trusting your loved one to any nursing home without thoroughly checking it out first.<\/p>\n
But, do you even know where to start? Here\u2019s a quick guide you can use:<\/p>\n
Make use of free tools<\/strong><\/p>\n ProPublica is a non-profit group that maintains a free database<\/a> for consumers looking into nursing home care. Its partnership with state agencies allows it to provide detailed information about the way that nursing homes in each state have performed during state inspections \u2014 including any citations or fines they\u2019ve received. Medicare.gov<\/a> also provides free information about facilities, including each nursing home\u2019s official rating with the government and information about staffing levels.<\/p>\n Ask for a tour<\/strong><\/p>\n You should never choose a nursing home on ratings alone. Once you\u2019ve selected a few likely candidates, talk to the administration of each and set up an official tour. Some important things to look for include:<\/p>\n Naturally, you also want to make certain that residents are being treated with care and compassion as well. Make sure it appears that all their needs are being met.<\/p>\n Stop in unannounced<\/strong><\/p>\n Every nursing home has visiting hours. Take note of the hours while you\u2019re there and stop back in at some point unannounced. That\u2019s the quickest way to make sure that you weren\u2019t being given a \u201cshow\u201d for the tour and that everything really is as it seems.<\/p>\n\n