FINDING A NURSING HOME:
THE PROCESS
Educate Yourself Early
Education is the key to making sure you
choose the nursing home that is best for you
or your loved one. Start the process early by
educating yourself as soon as it is determined
that a nursing facility is needed and by relying
on key advisors that you trust. There is a lot to
learn, from understanding the care services that
nursing homes provide to learning how to pay
for care. Studies show that those who do their
due diligence will have an overall better nursing
home experience than those who do not.
There is a difference in the quality of care and
the services provided among nursing facilities.
Some are better than others.
What Care Services Do You Need?
The medical needs of nursing home residents
vary greatly between individuals. Likewise, the
nursing care services available vary greatly
between facilities. Although every nursing
home provides basic health care services, some
facilities serve special needs like wound care,
Alzheimer’s or the care of tracheotomies. Some
even have specialized medical equipment to
take care of patients on dialysis or ventilators.
If you are being discharged from a hospital, your
physician or discharge planner can provide you
with a list of nursing homes that can cover your
specific health care needs. (See page 32)
Telephone, Tour & Decide
Start by telephoning the facilities on your initial
list. Ask to set up a time that you can come by for
a visit and tour the facility. It is a good idea to
find homes close to your loved ones so they
are able to visit more frequently. Ask family and
friends for recommendations and whether they
have had any personal experience with any of
the homes on your list. From your initial list,
you will be able to narrow the field of choices
down to two or three that you would like to visit.
Touring the nursing home is perhaps the most
important determining factor when evaluating
a facility. Make sure you take along our Nursing
Home “Questions to Ask” Comparison Worksheet
(See page 33) or use our Nursing Home
Quick Tips List if time is short when touring the
home you are considering.
Do more than just talk to the administrator
and the admissions director. Talk to the care
staff if possible while touring. Keep your eyes
open to both what you see and what you don’t
see happening during the tour. Even though
time is sometimes critically short for selecting
a nursing home, be selective.