You want only the best care for your aging loved one. That’s why making the right decision when it comes to nursing home care is so important, which can be assessed during a preliminary visit. In this case, AARP offers the following tips on how to choose a high-quality nursing home.
Use your ears
Pay close attention to the types of sounds you hear during a visit. Staff should always treat residents respectfully, particularly when addressing them. Use of belittling nicknames or infantilization could point to a disrespectful staff, which is a bad omen in terms of care. Also, residents asking for help should be seen to right away to ensure the situation doesn’t get worse.
Look into resident health
Residents who are bedridden must be assisted by staff frequently to prevent bedsores from forming. The presence of bedsores indicates that patients are allowed to languish without help, which can have disastrous consequences for your loved one. Ask staff about the rotation of bedridden patients, as well as the protocol for dealing with bedsores and other injuries. Staff should be vigilant to keep patients happy and healthy.
Ask about activities
Along with ensuring their health needs are met, staff should also make sure residents have lots of activities each day. Lack of companionship and socialization can have a real impact on a person’s mental and emotional well-being. That’s why it’s important that people in nursing homes are engaged as much as possible to keep their minds occupied. Red flags including patients spending long hours in their rooms with only their TVs to keep them company.