|
Tip Sheets
Nursing Home Care - Choosing a nursing home?
 Your first step is to organize a list of nursing homes. Check the
Senior LinkAge Line for a list of homes in your area or look in the yellow pages.
Make an appointment to visit the home. Ask about their care and services. Have the elder's name placed on the home's waiting list as early as possible. This does not obligate the elder to live in this home, but this advance planning will give the senior more options.
Know what you need. Do you need special health services such as physical, occupational or speech therapy? Do you need care or tube feeding?
It may be wise to make a second, unannounced visit to see how their day-to-day operations work.
Checklist for nursing home environment
Name of Home __________________________________
Phone of Home (_____) ________________
Address _______________________________________
Administrator ___________________________________
Social Worker ___________________________________
Local Ombudsman _______________________________
Phone of Ombudsman (____)___________
Resident Council Representative ____________________
Phone of Council Representative (____)_________
Family Council Representative ______________________
Phone of Family Council Representative (____)_________
Ask for a copy of:
- The home's Admission Contract and any other admission day documents
- The Resident's Bill of Rights
- Any Health Department complaint records and annual inspection reports.
Basic questions:
- How many residents are assigned per nursing assistant?
- Is the number different depending on the shift?
- Is there adequate staff for care as well as activities?
- How are new staff screened and trained?
- Is there on-going training for all staff?
- Is there a full-time social worker?
- Is there a full-time therapy staff?
- Is there a volunteer program?
- Is there an employee council?
- Who does the family contact in case of questions?
- What services are included in the basic daily rate?
- What services are not covered?
- What deficiencies were found in the Health Department survey? How were they corrected?
- How do you include residents in decisions regarding their care.
Checklist:
The facility…
| Yes | No |
| Does not have an unpleasant odor. |
| |
| Seems quiet. |
| |
| Is clean. |
| |
| Seems like a safe place to live. |
| |
| Feels "warm" and like a good place to live. |
| |
Residents….
|
| Seem involved in activities. |
| |
| Seem to be clean, dressed and out of bed. |
| |
Residents' rooms….
|
| Have ample closet space. |
| |
| Have room for personal belongings. |
| |
| Have privacy curtains. |
| |
| There is a place for locked storage. |
| |
| One to two residents share a bathroom. |
| |
Residents' lounges…. (# of lounges________)
|
| Seems large enough to accommodate residents. |
| |
| Have sturdy, comfortable chairs. |
| |
| Have current newspapers and magazines. |
| |
| Have a television. |
| |
| There is a private lounge for visits with family and friends. |
| |
Facility grounds… |
| There are nice, safe sitting and walking areas. |
| |
| The outdoor area is secure and safe for confused elders. |
| |
| There are gardens. |
| |
| There are sheltered areas. |
| |
Air/Environment…
|
| There are individual room temperature controls. |
| |
| Air conditioning is available. |
| |
| Fans help circulate the air. |
| |
| There are designated smoking areas and times. |
| |
| The environment is smoke free. |
| |
Phones… |
| The phones are free. |
| |
| There are pay phones. |
| |
| Residents may have phones in their rooms. |
| |
| A resident can have a private phone conversation. |
| |
Meals… |
| There are interesting food menus. |
| |
| There are fresh fruits and vegetables. |
| |
| Microwaves and steam tables are available to warm food. |
| |
| Residents choose their own seating. |
| |
| Guests are allowed at meals. |
| |
Resident choice and involvement…. |
| Residents are active in decision making at the home. |
| |
| There is a resident council. |
| |
| Residents have a newsletter. |
| |
| Residents have a support group. |
| |
| Residents are involved in menu and activity planning. |
| |
| Residents determine wake-up and bedtime hours. |
| |
| Residents participate in their care. |
| |
| Residents and their families are notified and invited to care conferences. |
| |
| Activities are tailored to the resident's needs. |
| |
Restraints… |
The home has a policy on using physical or chemical restraints.
(Ask what the facility does if residents choose to refuse medications or restraints.) |
| |
Family involvement…. |
| There is a family council. |
| |
| There is a support group. |
| |
| There is family orientation. |
| |
| Family members are notified of resident care conferences and changes in resident needs or care. |
| |
Religious services… |
| Services are conducted (Ask when, where, how often and what religious affiliations are represented.) |
| |
Need more information?
Learn about a facility's licensure compliance and annual inspection results by contacting the Minnesota Department of Health, Survey and Compliance Section at 651-215-8701.
Learn about a facility's complaint history by calling the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Health Facility Complaints at 651-215-8713 or toll free at 1-800-369-7994.
For general information, names of nursing homes in a specific area, complaint
histories of homes or overall assistance with nursing home selection, call The
Office of Ombudsman for Older Minnesotans at 1-800-657-3591 or 651-431-2555. |
