Quality Care

 

Nursing Home

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TIPS FOR SEARCHING A NURSING HOME 

1. Asses your wants and needs, what would you like a nursing home to have in order for you to like living there?

2. Gather Information from the experts. Consult with your local or state Long Term Care (LTC) ombudsman, they are expert advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, they not just provide information but also investigate complaints.

State Ombudsman

South Dade Ombudsman

Phone: (305) 273.3250

North Dade Ombudsman

Phone: (305) 273.3294

3. Research their accreditations and look for government reports to consider the Quality of Care - focus on things such as cleanliness, staff to patient ratio, costs and level of care. 

Medicare

Florida Health Finder

4. Check if there are any violations with the state.

ProPublica

5. Visit and interview up to three locations to determine the residents’ Quality of Life, and pay attention to:

- The environment. Does the place smell badly, is it dirty, is there enough lighting around, do they have private rooms versus doubles or triples?

- The relationships between residents and staff. Do staff address residents by their first names, how does the staff interact with the residents, do they get to the residents’ level, do they engage in baby talk.

- Ask the facility staff what do they do to promote social engagement.

- Check the ratio of staff to residents. Staff should be able to provide 3.5 to 4 hours of care per resident in a 24-hour period.

6.  Review the contract and lease negotiation in advance. Know what their policies are, and what happens if you move in and the facility is not right for you?

A Nursing Home evaluation checklist can be found here.

RESOURCES

Administration on Aging

Provides information of local and state agencies and community-based services.