Nursing Homes: Make the Right Choice

What to Look For, What to Ask

Nobody ever wants to think about having to place an elderly family member in a nursing home, of course, but it does no help to avoid the subject until the situation is upon you. Researching this eventuality isn't pleasant, and hopefully it will never be necessary, but better armed with knowledge before you need it than to be impotent at the moment that knowledge becomes a necessity.

The first question you may want to start thinking about is when should you actually start thinking about the possibility of a nursing home. Forget such things as age as a determinant. Even though we may think of nursing homes as elderly resting places, you must take into account that elderly can mean a lot of things. For instance, is a 60 year old elderly? And is a 90 year old who drives and otherwise takes care of herself to be considered elderly as it relates to a nursing home? When thinking about placement in a nursing home, consider not only age, but also physical functionality: things such as retention of control over bodily functions, the ability to perform the basic activities that makes up daily life, being able to clean and cook for oneself.

Before selecting a nursing home, do the research. And do not, under any circumstances, stop your research at the web site run by the home. In fact, that should be your last point of interest. Ask health care professionals, friends, family members, anyone at all not economically connected with the nursing. Don't disavow any good news or bad news, but also don't take any of it at face value. In addition, check with local and state health care and social services. If necessary, even hire one of those internet investigators who will do all the legwork required to get you the skinny on all court and legal related cases the nursing home may have been involved in. A really good one will even be able to uncover the cases that the nursing home had hushed up. One word of advice: Avoid watching any John Stossel reports on 20/20; the guy has devolved into a corporate shill.