Our Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home is designed to help people find and compare nursing homes. It can help you and your family make your best choice, whether you are planning ahead, or need to make an unexpected decision.

Choosing a nursing home can have great emotional effect on you and your loved ones. It is helpful to plan ahead, visit and compare several nursing homes, and make good financial plans early. Planning ahead gives you and your family more control and can help make sure that your needs are met so you can get good quality care.

For Readers Who Are Helping Another Person Choose a Nursing Home:
If you are helping someone who is about to go into a nursing home, get him or her involved in making the decision as much as possible. People who are involved from the beginning are better prepared when they move into a nursing home. If the person you are helping is not alert or able to communicate well, keep his or her values and preferences in mind. Finding a nursing home that has the right services, and a pleasant comfortable atmosphere, often requires a lot of planning.
 

 

The main steps to choosing a nursing home are:
1.	Find out about the nursing homes in your area
2.	Find out how nursing homes compare in quality
3.	Visit the nursing homes you are interested in, or have someone visit for you
	- Make an appointment with the nursing home before you visit - Take a formal tour with a nursing home staff member - Ask questions during your tour - Look around to get a better picture of the services, activities, and quality of care and life for the residents
4.	Choose the nursing home that best meets your needs
5.	Get Information:
	- About Services: What services does the nursing home provide? - About Fees: Do they charge a basic fee for room, meals, and personal care? - Do they charge extra for other services or care for special medical needs?

 


General Questions To Consider

-	Is the nursing home certified?
-	Is there a bed available? (Is there a waiting list?)
-	Is the nursing home easy to visit for family and friends?
-	Talk to staff, residents, and family members if you can. Are they satisfied?

However, don't go into resident rooms or care areas without checking with the resident and nursing home staff first. Residents have a right to privacy.
 

Helpful Checklist
Quality of Life:
-	Do the staff treat residents in a respectful way?
-	Are there a variety of social, recreational, religious, or cultural activities?
-	Do the residents have choices over their schedule and living space?
-	Do the residents have privacy for visits or personal care?
Quality of Care:
-	Are there enough staff?
-	Are residents getting the care they need?
-	Can residents still see their personal doctors?
-	Does the nursing home have any quality of care deficiencies?
Location:
-	Is the nursing home close to family and friends so they can visit often? Frequent visits are the best way to make sure that you or your loved one does well in the nursing home.
Security:
-	Does the nursing home provide a safe environment?
-	Is the nursing home locked at night?
-	Are there special "Wander Guards" to help keep residents who may become confused in the facility?
-	Does the nursing home provide a safe environment?
-	Are there special security and monitoring systems in place to safeguard residents wellbeing?
Preventive Care:
-	Does the nursing home make sure that residents get preventive care to help keep them healthy?
-	Does the nursing home have a screening program for immunisations such as Flu (influenza) and pneumonia?
Hospitals:
-	Does the nursing home have an arrangement with a nearby hospital for emergencies?
-	Can your doctor care for you at that hospital?
Accredited (accreditation):
-	How is the nursing home accredited ?
-	Are the nursing home and current administrator required to be licensed If so, are they?

Making the Arrangements to Enter a Nursing Home
After you choose a nursing home, you will need to make the arrangements for admission. When you contact the nursing home office, it is helpful to have the following information ready.

-	Payment Information for Nursing Home Office Staff
-	Insurance Information: health care coverage and/or long-term care insurance
-	Information on Your Medical History: Your doctor may give the staff some of this information. This includes a list of any current or past health problems, past surgeries or treatments you have had, allergies you have to food or medicine, and immunizations you've had.
-	Information on Your Current Health Status: Your doctor may give the staff some of this information. This includes a list of your current health status, and any activities of daily living that might be difficult for you to do by yourself.
-	A List of Your Current Medicines: Include the dose, how often you take it, and why you take it.
-	A List of All Your Health Care Providers: Include names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
-	A List of Family Members to Call in Case of an Emergency: Include names, addresses, and telephone numbers.