Selecting the proper nursing home is only half of the battle – the other half is making sure that the nursing home provides proper care. The best way to protect your loved one is by making personal visits to the facility. In doing so, consider the following:
1. Visit frequently – The best way to insure your loved one is receiving proper care is to observe the care personally. If the staff knows that you are actively involved in the resident’s care, they will be more cognizant of meeting the resident’s needs.
2. Vary the dates and times of your visits – Try to avoid a set visitation schedule. If the staff knows you are always there at the same day and time, they will be ready for you. If they never know when you are coming, they will always have to be ready by providing proper care.
3. Speak to the aides and nurses – Establish a good rapport with the staff. Effective communication can be helpful in making certain that the residents’ needs are met. Equally important, the staff will feel comfortable alerting you to any potential problems.
4. Be involved – A health assessment of the new resident begins on day one. The comprehensive assessment must be completed within fourteen days. You have the opportunity to be involved in the care plan process – take advantage of it. The care plan will address each are of the resident’s daily needs, including nutrition, hydration, therapy, social interaction, mobility, and safety issues. You will know more about your loved one’s history than the nursing home can obtain in this short period of time. As a result, your insight is invaluable – share it, be active and stay involved. The more you are involved the harder the staff will work to make certain that the resident’s needs are met.
5. Stay involved – At the time of each visit, review the chart. If an entry is illegible, do not hesitate to ask the staff to read it to you. Review the meal schedules and medication schedules – make sure that the staff is actually performing what they are documenting. If you catch a fraudulent chart entry, that is a problem that must be dealt with immediately as it may be evidence of much larger issues.
6. Report problems – If you have an issue with the care provided, make your concerns known. First, speak with the staff and let them know your complaint. They might not have been aware that there was a problem. If that discussion does not result in a satisfactory response, go up the chain of command. Speak with the Director of Nursing (DON) and then the Administrator. If all else fails, contact the local Ombudsman.
Selecting the proper nursing home for a loved one, and protecting them after admission to the facility, can be a daunting and nerve wracking task. Following these steps will help decrease the stress and make certain that your loved one receives proper care.
