Beyond the Facade of a Long Term Care Facility
Choosing a long term care (LTC) facility for your elderly loved one based on what you see exterior wise is the biggest mistake that you can make. Many long term care facilities may look good in the outside but in reality, its residents are suffering from mental, verbal, emotional, and physical abuse.
Do not let the picturesque landscape and big number of bedrooms affect your decision because these are all superficial. At the end of the day it should be about how the residents are treated and cared for.
To prevent your loved one ending up in the wrong LTC facility, check all the LTC facilities that are available in your area. Even if your mom and dad keep saying that they prefer to receive care in the comforts of their own home, take the initiative to look for a qualified nursing home because you cannot be 100% sure that they will never require skilled nursing care in the future.
Fill yourself with the necessary information apart from the number of new beds and nurse-to-patient ratio. Conduct a background check to find out if the facility has received complaints in the past and if so, what reasons triggered those complaints?
Nursing homes should also be equipped with special care units for individuals with Alzheimer’s. If you stumble upon one that does not have this, don’t take your chances lest your elderly becomes a victim of mediocre or poor LTC.
Inquiries About Long Term Care Facilities
Medicare has an online agency that is responsible for rating nursing homes situated in a specific area. If you’re wondering which LTC facilities are worth looking into, this branch of the said health insurance program will inform you which nursing facilities in your city or county have good reputation and which ones have acquired the lowest rates due to misconduct.
After having gathered a list of prospective nursing homes, take time to visit each and observe the relationship between staff and residents. How do the nurses communicate with their patients?
Another important thing to note is the food that a nursing home serves because some people have dietary restrictions. Ask the management also how often they change the menu that they serve the residents.
Finding a nursing home for a loved one who needs intensive LTC is like getting him a new home so it has to suit his needs and he has to be comfortable in it. If you do not like what you see, how can you expect him to like it?
Sometimes we have to deviate from the wishes of the ones that we love in order to ensure that they receive the best of care. If they insist on in-home care and we comply with this even though we are much aware that it can result in their premature death, what makes us different from those so-called nurses who have been charged with elderly abuse?
By taking ample time to inspect the long term care facilities in your place, you will no doubt succeed in finding not only a second home but one that is first-rate for your elderly loved one.
Visit our website now if you’re wondering how much is your long term care insurance costs. We assure you, we’ll give you free long term care quote from and all the information you need about long term care.