Practical Tips for Elder Care
(Page 2 of 3)

Nursing Home Checklist

• Keep these suggestions in mind when visiting a nursing home:
• Visit a nursing home more than once and during different times of the day.
• Make an appointment to meet with the administrator or admissions director for your first visit and ask for a guided tour of the facility.
• Make sure that you are given the opportunity to talk to residents and observe conditions in the nursing home by yourself.
• Meet with members of the nursing home family council, which is composed of family members of the facility's residents. If the nursing home doesn't have a family council, ask to speak with family members of residents of the facility.
• Review the facility's fire safety training program.

When you visit a nursing home, you should carry this checklist with you. It will help you to compare one facility with another, but remember to compare facilities certified in the same category; for example, a skilled nursing facility with another skilled nursing home. Because nursing homes may be licensed in more than one category, always compare similar types of service among facilities.

Home A _______________________________________________

Home B _______________________________________________

Look at Daily Life

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
1.	Do residents seem to enjoy being with staff?	________	________
2.	Are most residents dressed for the season and time of day?	________	________
3.	Does staff know the residents by name?	________	________
4.	Does staff respond quickly to resident calls for assistance?	________	________

Home A/Home B

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
5.	Are activities tailored to residents' individual needs and interests?	________	________
6.	Are residents involved in a variety of activities?	________	________
7.	Does the home serve food attractively?	________	________
8.	Does the home consider personal food likes and dislikes in planning meals?	________	________
9.	Does the home use care in selecting roommates?	________	________
10.	Does the home have a residents' council? If it does, does the council influence decisions about resident life?	________	________
11.	Does the home have a family council? If it does, does the council influence decisions about resident life?	________	________
12.	Does the facility have contact with community groups, such as pet therapy programs and Scouts?	________	________

Look at Care Residents Receive

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
1.	Do various staff and professional experts participate in evaluating each resident's needs and interests?	________	________
2.	Does the resident or his or her family participate in developing the resident's care plan?	________	________
3.	Does the home offer programs to restore lost physical functioning (for example, physical, occupational, and speech and language therapy)?	________	________
4.	Does the home have any special services that meet your needs (for example, special care units for residents with dementia or with respiratory problems)?	________	________
5.	Does the home have a program to restrict the use of physical restraints?	________	________
6.	Is a registered nurse available for nursing staff	________	________
7.	Does the nursing home have an arrangement with a nearby hospital to treat a resident if needed?	________	________

Look at How the Nursing Home Handles Payment

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
1.	Is the facility certified for Medicare?	________	________
2.	Is the facility certified for Medicaid?	________	________
3.	Is the resident or the resident's family informed when charges are increased?	________	________

Look at the Environment

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
1.	Is the outside of the home clean and in good repair?	________	________
2.	Are there outdoor areas accessible for residents to use?	________	________
3.	Is the inside of the home clean and in good repair?	________	________
4.	Does the home have handrails in hallways and grab bars in bathrooms?	________	________
5.	When floors are being cleaned, are warning signs placed, or are areas blocked off to prevent accidents?	________	________
6.	Is the home free from unpleasant odors?	________	________
7.	Are toilets convenient to bedrooms?	________	________
8.	Do noise levels fit the activities that are going on?	________	________
9.	Is it easy for residents in wheelchairs to move around the home?	________	________
10	Is the lighting appropriate for what residents are doing?	________	________
11.	Are there private areas for residents to visit with family, visitors, or physicians>	________	________
12.	Are residents' bedrooms furnished in a pleasant manner?	________	________
13.	Do the residents have some personal items in their bedrooms (for example, family pictures, souvenirs, and/or a chair)?	________	________
14.	Do the residents' rooms have accessible storage areas for residents' personal items?	________	________

Other Things to Look For

No.	Checklist Question	Home A	Home B
1.	Does the home have a good reputation in the community?	________	________
2.	Does the home have a list of references?	________	________
3.	Is the home convenient for family and friends to visit?	________	________
4.	Does the local ombudsman visit the facility regularly?	________	________