Due to how potentially high-stakes of a decision it is, choosing a nursing home is challenging. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources that can help you through this stressful process.
One way to ensure that you remember to ask about all important issues is to bring the Medicare Nursing Home Checklist to your next nursing home visit. According to the Checklist, in addition to asking about the listed items, it is a good idea to go to a resident meeting.
What kinds of items are on the Medicare Nursing Home Checklist?
The Checklist includes multiple headings. They include “Safety and Care,” “Preventing Abuse,” “Living Spaces,” “Staff,” “Food,” and more. The Checklist is extensive and it is possible that not all items on the list will apply to your specific situation.
If you find the full Checklist to be unwieldy, it is smart to sort through it and highlight only the most pertinent issues on the Checklist. For instance, if you do not have dementia, you can ignore that part of the Checklist. However, it is a handy tool that can prevent you from forgetting to ask important questions.
What is a resident meeting?
Most of the time, residents and their families arrange these meetings. They are to help address concerns that current residents and their families may have about the facility. This is a great way to get a very personal view of what living at that particular facility is like.
Some nursing homes are high-quality, while others may subject their residents to abuse. Due diligence and use of the Medicare Nursing Home Checklist can ensure that you make the right decision.