Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Finding The Right Answers To Your Critical Nursing Home Questions

By Sean Patrick

You need to make sure that before placing a loved one in a nursing home facility in your area, the safety, comfort, and quality of the home is up to par.

Be sure to ask the right nursing home questions to ensure you have the right answers.

The first step in getting the information you need is to be sure you are asking the right people. It isn't enough to simply take a tour of nursing homes around town and ask the staff members about the care they provide. Since those staffers often have a vested interest in having you sign up with their particular facility, it behooves you and your loved one to dig a little deeper.

In addition to the information nursing home staff members offer, consider a few alternative sources:

-Doctors in the area: ask your own doctor or a friend's doctor any questions you may have. These can actually provide for great resources.

-Social networks: You'll be amazed at how many people are or were in your situation in the past. Don't be afraid to bring up your questions or concerns in conversation - chances are that if your immediate friends offer no advice then someone they know and trust will.

-BBB: the Better Business Bureau is always a great resource to figure out what facilities in your area have had complains in the past.

-Watch Organizations: since the Internet has made a splash there are many watchdog organizations out there - including the Abuse Blog (nursinghomesabuseblog.com). Feel free to Google and look at the top results - chances are you can interact with these blogs and forums and get the right answers you need.

-Your local police department: your police department might provide some great insight to what facilities have had incidents in the past 5-10 years.

As you can see, the list could go on and on. These five sources are a great start - but you should do more due diligence to ensure you've done everything possible to get the right answers for your nursing home questions. Before you know it you'll have a much better grip on your concerns and hopefully be able to choose the place that is right for you or your family member!

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