Elder Law

Picking a Nursing Home Can be Quite Stressful

By Levin & Perconti

A New York Times article has laid out many times for helping those dealing with the stressful task of choosing a nursing home. Chief executive of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging stated that you can find a nursing home with a safe, engaging and pleasant environment if you ?know what to look for and how to search.? The first step is to start with the data by looking at a nursing home?s health inspection data, staffing and quality measures. You may obtain this information by going to the Medicare website and using the ?nursing home compare? tool. The next helpful step is to visit the nursing home numerous times. Ask to speak with the executive director, lead physician and head nurse. Take notice as to whether staff members are being friendly with the patients. When speaking with nursing home representatives make sure to ask the nursing homes if they engage in ?person-centered care? as well as ?consistent assignment? These homes will allow patients to generally manage their own schedules and choose when they wake up. Finally, make sure to inquire about the staff turnover. Countless studies have found that nursing home staffs with high turnover rates are more likely to commit nursing home negligence.

There are many helpful sources for choosing a nursing home in Illinois. The Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti recommend visiting the Illinois Department of Health?s Website to examine information on each nursing home in Illinois. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at the Illinois Department of Aging is another helpful resource. They run a Senior Helpline that you may access by calling 1-800-252-8966.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on March 25, 2010 (boomark / email).