Can you give me some tips on picking a good nursing home for my 82-year-old father? He had a stroke last year and has been receiving care at home but it’s become too much to handle. -- Overwhelmed Daughter
Choosing a nursing home for a loved one that provides quality care is an important and difficult decision that requires some homework. Here are some steps that can help.
Make a list: Start by contacting your Area Agency on Aging for a list of local facilities. Ideally, the facilities should be close to family members and friends who can visit often. Residents with frequent visitors usually get better care.
Do some research: Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services collect data on more than 15,000 nursing homes throughout the country. Health inspection data, staffing and quality measures are combined to come up with an overall ranking system of one to five stars. To research the nursing homes in your area, go to medicare.gov and click on “Facilities and Doctors,” then on “Compare Nursing Homes.”
Call your ombudsman: This is a government official who investigates nursing home complaints and advocates for residents and their families. This person can help you find the latest health inspection reports, which are public information, on specific nursing homes, and can tell you which ones have had problems. To find your local ombudsman, call your area aging agency or see ltcombudsman.org.
Call the facilities: Once you’ve narrowed your search, call the nursing homes you’re interested in to find out if they have any vacancies, what they charge, and if they accept Medicaid – most do.
Visit your top choices: Be sure to visit more than once and at different times of the day and different days of the week. While you’re there, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind to its residents? Also be sure to taste the food, and talk to the residents and their family members, if available.
Upon arrival, ask for the nursing home administrator or other person of authority to give you a tour. Find out about staff screening (do they do background checks) and training procedures and what percentage of their staff leaves each year. Less than 30 percent annually is considered good. More than 50 percent is a red flag. To help you rate your visit, Medicare offers a handy checklist at medicare.gov/nursing/checklist.pdf.
Paying for care
With nursing home costs now averaging nearly $230 per day nationally, paying for long-term care is another area you may have questions about or need assistance with. Medicare only helps pay up to 100 days of “medically necessary” nursing home care, which must occur after a hospital stay. Most nursing home residents pay from personal money, long-term care insurance policies or, if they qualify, through Medicaid. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a good resource for long-term care financial counseling.
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