If you have found yourself in the position of needing to locate a nursing home for your elderly parent, either with or without their input depending on their health and cognitive abilities, there are some things that you should be looking at so that you choose the best option for your parent’s care. Here is what to look for when touring nursing homes and how to go about it.
First, don’t hesitate to listen to your gut impressions, especially the impression you get when you first walk in the door. Most nursing homes are careful to make sure that their lobby is welcoming even if the rest of the facility is anything but. If you don’t get a sense that much care was made in this regard, there is a good chance the rest isn’t any better and could be much worse.
Second, be observant. Do you see smiles on the faces of the residents? Do they appear to be well cared for? Don’t hesitate to talk to those you see and ask them if they are happy with staying there and what they like or dislike. In addition, if you see people visiting their family members, ask them about how they feel about it.
Third, be sure when touring nursing homes that you get the full tour, not just the areas they want you to see. In addition, ask a ton of questions, such as caregiver to resident ratio, what activities they provide, and what their policies are relative to dementia or Alzheimer’s care.
If you take these measures when considering us at The Almost Home Group, we believe you will be amazed at how different we are from traditional nursing homes. Our residents feel at home here because we have taken residential homes and made them comfortable with décor like they probably have in their own home. Our staff-to-patient ratio is far better than any nursing homes in the Piedmont Triad, North Carolina area, so your parent will get more individualized care, and we happily accept residents with memory concerns. Stop by any time to learn more about our residences and program.
