Some older adults benefit from the professional help they can receive in a California nursing home. Unfortunately, not every long-term care facility takes proper care of its residents.
MarketWatch helps you understand how to choose a safe nursing home, which may lessen the chances of your loved one experiencing abuse. Learn how to stop neglect and harm before they happen.
Visit the facility on the weekend
After your initial visit to the home to get a feel for the facility, return for a late morning weekend visit without a tour guide. Visiting at odd hours gives you a better sense of how the staff cares for residents. Pay attention to the general mood of the facility, how engaged and content residents seem, the food served and everyone’s overall physical appearance. If you feel that something may be off during your visit, trust your instincts.
Check online databases
There are online databases that compile survey reports of nursing facilities that accept Medicaid and Medicare. You can use such resources to see where nursing homes fall short and how they work to improve their report results. Facility standards can differ from year to year, so a home that had a poor report last year could have stellar marks this year.
Determine the possibility of abuse
Ask what measures the nursing home takes to prevent resident abuse. Can male caretakers provide female residents with intimate care? How can residents or resident friends and family report abuse? How does the facility look into abuse allegations? Does the nursing home let family members know when a resident either makes an abuse allegation or becomes involved in an incident?
