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Selecting A Nursing Facility-Checklist
We have provided the following checklist as a convenient reference for evaluating nursing homes during a visit.
Remember, the most important consideration in any choice is the individual's specific situation. Each patient--young, elderly, ambulatory or bedridden--has different needs, preferences, and desires
that need to be taken into account in the selection of an appropriate facility.
Cleanliness
- is the facility as clean as you set your personal standards?
- is the facility free of unpleasant odors?
Patient Rights
- does the facility have a written description of patient rights and responsibilities?
- is staff trained to protect patient dignity and privacy?
- does the facility have a resident council?
Care Planning
- are patients and their families involved in developing their own care plan?
- does the facility provide services for terminally ill patients and their families?
- does the facility have an Alzheimer's program?
Staff Attitudes
- does staff show interest in and affection for individual patients?
- is the staff courteous?
- does staff respond quickly to patient calls for assistance?
- does staff know patients by name?
- do staff interact respectfully and in a friendly manner with other staff?
Licensure and Certification
- does the facility have a current license from the state?
- if needed by the individual, is the facility certified to provide Medicare and/or Medicaid coverage?
- is the latest state survey available to review?
- does the administrator have a current state license?
Location
- is the facility convenient for frequent visits of family and friends?
- is the facility near a cooperating hospital?
- is the facility convenient for the patient's personal physician?
- is the facility near a hospital where the patient's personal physician practices?
Costs
- are all the services the patient requires covered in the basic daily charge?
- if not, is a list of specific services not covered in the basic rate available?
- are advance payments returned if the patient leaves the healthcare center?
Your Part
- if you are selecting a nursing home for a loved one, are you:
- involving this person in the choice;
- prepared to ease the patient's transition to the nursing home by being with them on admission day &
staying several hours to get them settled?
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