How do I Determine Whether the Care in a Nursing Home Is Good or Bad?

Putting a loved one in a nursing home is an emotional experience that can be made easier with a little research. To help you determine whether a nursing home provides good care, you'll want to tour the facility, talk to its administrators, review its inspection reports and consult with friends. All of these factor in to learning how well the facility can meet your loved one's personal and social needs. There are several steps you should take when choosing a nursing home, and these will guide you in finding a reputable facility for your situation.

Instructions

• 1

  Talk to extended family members, friends and co-workers. Find out what nursing homes they have experience with and how they feel about them. To whittle down your list, consider the attributes most important to you in a nursing home, such as size, location, religious affiliation, types of care offered, etc.

• 2

  Get the inspection reports for the nursing homes you think best suit your needs. The government provides free access to its reports at Medicare.gov. Search by entering the nursing home's city, county, state or ZIP code.

• 3

  Ask the admissions director at each nursing home to review the nursing home's inspection ratings with you. Consider how cooperative and forthcoming each director is. While you're there, tour the facility.

• 4

  Demand that the proper authority accredit any home you consider. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) evaluates all health care facilities including nursing homes, hospitals and medical centers. An independent organization, JCAHO requires that all medical institutions receive a passing inspection at least every three years to remain a part of the organization. Membership in JCAHO is not mandatory for nursing homes, but a home that is a member is one that has worked toward maintaining a high standard of care for its patients.

• 5

  Call the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) in your state and find out if the nursing homes you are considering have had license terminations or "quality of care" complaints filed against them in the past few years.