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?