Keep these things in mind when considering which nursing home to choose for your needs:

• Can the facility provide the level of care your family member needs (skilled care, respite care, hospice)?
• Is there availability?
• What are the costs, what expenses are reimbursed by Medicaid and Medicare? What are you responsible to pay?
• If your family member will be receiving assistance, V.A. Medicare, Medicaid, etc, check and see if the facility is certified in these areas.

When you visit the nursing facility...

• You should be able to meet with the Administrator/Director of Admissions or Director of Nursing.
• They should give you literature about the facility (costs, services) so that you can take information home for future reference.
• Have your questions ready - the person visiting with you should be very comfortable answering your questions. They will need to ask you questions about the current level of care required by your family member to determine if their facility can meet that need.
• Once you have visited with the Administrator, Admissions Coordinator or Director of Nurses, you should be taken on a tour of the facility. If your time is limited, come back for a tour at another time because it is extremely important to see the facility. You should be able to visit the facility at unannounced times.

As you walk around. . .

• What is the general atmosphere?
• It should be “home-like” (personal furnishings, pictures, etc.) and pleasant and clean. You should see housekeeping staff and janitorial staff on duty.
• How do the individual residents look? Are the residents dressed, hair combed and seem happy?
• Those that may be in bed - do they belong there at the time of day? Do they seem uncomfortable?
• Do the care providers seem pleasant and look neat?
• Are they attentive to the residents?
• What is the staffing ratio? The staffing ratio should be posted in a conspicuous place.
• Look for the posting of the license for the Facility and
  Administrator, Residents Rights and survey results; all of
  these are required to be posted in a conspicuous place.
• Is the staff observing Residence Rights by providing privacy for personal Care?
• In addition to showing you general areas of the facility, they should show you some resident rooms. (If the room is occupied, they will need the resident’s permission to allow you to see the room.)

Activities and Family Involvement. . .

• See if any Activity Calendars are posted; if an activity is taking place, ask if you can observe.
• Do they have a variety of activities? Again, it is very important that the organization have a variety of activities that stimulate the senses.
• Are there outdoor areas for the residents? Are the
  grounds well maintained?
• Are there visiting hours?
• Can family members participate in care if desired?
• Are children and pets allowed to visit?

Food, Medication, Rehab, & Safety Considerations. . .

• Although Health Department rules prohibit tours of the kitchen, you may see the dining rooms - ask about the menu and special diets.
• Ask about whether rehabilitation services are available, even if your loved one doesn’t need the service right now.
• Ask about how medications, laundry, beauty/barber shop are handled.
• As you tour the facility, do you see fire evacuations plans posted? Do you see fire extinguishers? Smoke Alarms? Sprinkler system?
• Certainly feel free to ask more questions!
• Once you have had an opportunity to visit all the nursing facilities on your list, it is good to make a second visit - perhaps unannounced to follow up on what you learned the first time.