Choosing the right nursing home can be difficult and overwhelming for many carers. You want to ensure that the nursing home you choose will provide the best care for your loved one. However, with so many nursing homes available, how do you compare them to ensure you make the right choice?
The first step to finding the right nursing home is to start searching for homes in your area. Once you have a list of potential nursing homes you should then visit each home to assess them.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has put together a Nursing Home checklist that will help you to compare each nursing home by asking the right questions.
Some of the questions on the Nursing home checklist are:
Staff
- What was the attitude of the staff assisting you?
- What training do the care staff have?
- How many staff members provide overnight care?
- What type of care or services cannot be provided?
Rooms
- Are single rooms available or will your loved one have to share?
- What arrangements are there to ensure privacy for residents?
- What furnishings and personal items can your loved one bring and what is supplied?
Food
- What are the meal arrangements?
- Is there easy access to well-maintained outdoor areas?
Other
- How can family and friends be involved in your loved one’s care?
- What transport is accessible for visiting shops and family?
- Can the nursing home meet your loved one’s medical and special needs?
- Do you or your loved one understand the costs associated with care?
You can also prepare your own specific questions to add to the checklist and remember to take a new checklist to every nursing home you visit.
Feel free to conduct second or third visits to each nursing home to ensure you make the right choice.
Hopefully with a little bit of preparation and by asking the right questions you can find the best nursing home for your loved one.
Read the full checklist here.
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