Choosing a Person-Centered Nursing Home
Questions to Ask
Deciding to move to a nursing home is a difficult decision. Nursing homes are changing and focusing their efforts to meet you right where you are. Here are some things to look for and ask about to find a nursing home that feels as much like home as possible.
It’s about relationships
What to look for:
- Are the employees and residents living carrying on meaningful conversations?
- Does interaction between everyone seem warm and at ease?
- Do individuals help and interact with you when you walk through the door?
What to ask:
- Will I have the same caregivers all the time or will they be different each day?
- Can I choose who to dine with or are places assigned?
- Are there people here who have the same interests as me?
It’s about choice
What to look for:
- Individuals enjoying their time and engaging in life.
- Residents asking for almost anything and receiving it promptly.
- Are there appetizing food and snacks and are food choices available 24 hours a day?
What to ask:
- Can I sleep in or stay up as late as I would like?
- Can I choose when I want to take my shower or bath? Does it have to be the same choice each time?
- Can I get my room to a temperature I am comfortable with? Can I have a fresh breeze in the Fall or Spring if I choose?
It’s about home
What to look for:
- Does the nursing home feel like an institution or do they pay close attention to bringing in the comforts of home?
- Is everyone taken to the dining room at the same time or can you come and go as you please during dining hours?
- Are you greeted by someone when you walk through the front door? Are they hospitable?
What to ask:
- Can I decorate my room with my things from home? Can I bring my own bed?
- Can I bring my cat or dog with me?
- Can I bring my family in and make dinner for a holiday or birthday?
- Can I spend time outside?
It’s about community
What to look for:
- Are groups and individuals from the community hosting events and activities in the nursing home?
- Do children and youth interact with the residents?
- Do individuals living in the nursing home still participate in community activities outside the nursing home?
What to ask:
- Can I still get together with my friends and have coffee, play golf, go bowling or any activity that I still enjoy doing?
- Will I have the opportunity to leave with other residents to enjoy parades, fairs, dinners out and anything else I like to do?
- Can I contribute through volunteer activities
Overall impressions of your visit:
Do you feel that life as you know it will continue or be enhanced while living in the nursing home you visit? If the answer is yes, you have made a great choice. If the answer is no, it might be a good idea to continue looking. It’s your life – enjoy it to the fullest!
|
