5 Tips for Choosing A Nursing Home

Published on January 30, 2019

You’ve narrowed down nursing homes in a desired area, now what? Before touring homes, you’ll want to know what to look for. Here are 5 things to consider when choosing a nursing home.

Nursing Home Considerations

1.) Check for violations.

We recommend looking on both the Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Licensing Services website and U.S. News and World Report website. The AZDHS website will offer insight into inspections and any penalties or violations associated with those inspections. U.S. News & World Report provides an overall quality score, health inspection score, nurse staffing score, and quality measures score based on a 5-star scale. Each rating can easily be investigated further, as the website will clearly explain the violation, the harm it posed, residents affected and the date the problem was fixed.

2.) Choose a home that caters to the needs of your loved one.

If you’re loved one is at risk of wandering, you’ll want to ask what measures the nursing home takes to keep residents safe from wandering. If you’re loved one suffers from dementia, you’ll want to choose a nursing home that also has a dementia care unit for specialized treatment.

3.) Ask about medical care.

With many nursing home residents being 65 years of age or older, it’s important to have proper medical care available in a nursing home. Things to consider when choosing a home includes: Do residents receive regular medical attention and emergency care from health care providers on staff? How are medical, dental and vision needs of residents addressed? What is the home’s policy on physical or chemical restraints? How does the home accommodate deterioration of a resident’s health?

4.) Understaffing in nursing homes is among the top problems putting residents at risk.

When choosing a home, consider each home’s staffing policies. How many staff members are there on each shift? Also, do staff members and managers undergo background checks before being hired? Do regular evaluations of staff take place and if so, how often? The staff will interact with your loved one every day. You want to make sure the staff is friendly, competent and present.

5.) Cleanliness.

The cleanliness of the home will tell you a lot about how the home operates. A home that’s ill maintained is typically a sign of other problems. Make note of any unpleasant odors, such as garbage, urine or mold. Take a look at the residents – are they being cared for properly? Do their clothes look clean? Do they look unkempt? How staff treats other residents is exactly how your loved one will be treated each day.

BONUS Tip:

If you suspects abuse or neglect of a loved one in a nursing home, contact the skilled Phoenix nursing home abuse attorneys at Knapp & Roberts immediately. We have a superior track record of holding assisted living and nursing home facilities accountable when they fail in their duty to deliver proper care, and have won settlements and verdicts in the millions of dollars for our clients.

Our experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys understands that placing a family member in a home is often a very difficult decision, made worse when the needed care is not provided. While we cannot undo the damage your loved one has suffered, we can help the patient and family recover monetary damages, as well as work together to reduce the incidence of patient abuse and hold care facilities to a higher standard, allowing our elderly to pass their final years in comfort and the best health possible at their age.

Call Knapp & Roberts today at (480) 991-7677 to schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help. There is never a fee unless we recover money for you.