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Making A Difficult
Choice Easier
By Kate Granigan |
 Marshfield
- Selecting a Nursing Home or Skilled Nursing Facility for
rehabilitation or a long term stay for a family member can
be a daunting task, especially considering what is at stake.
Although there is no magic formula to choose the right
facility for you, there are a few steps to take that will
ensure a much better chance of your selection meeting your
needs.
Understanding your needs
The first step to making a good selection is to know what
you are looking for in a facility. Not all facilities are
created equal. Make a list of the top four factors that will
be important to you, your family and your loved one. For
example, if it is critical that a spouse access the facility
to visit daily, but takes the local COA transportation to do
so, then the location will be one of the most important
qualities. If an intensive rehabilitation is needed or there
is a complex medical concern, then a facility that
specializes in this area will be of importance. If the
resident loves pets, and it is important to their well
being, then a facility that has a resident dog or cat might
be paramount. If upscale decor is important, then this may
eliminate the well run but older building down the street.
Ratings
The Department of Public Health has a rating tool that it
uses to score aspects of every facility in the state. This
is done on a regular basis, and these scores are available
to the public. You can visit the web site www.mass.gov/dph/qtool2/
and select a facility by name, or look at all of the
facilities in a particular town. The perfect score for the
tool is 132 and the state average is 123. This is a
first step to being an educated consumer. This tool will
inform you of the areas of deficiencies that the facility
has had. Use this knowledge to ask questions regarding what
steps, if any, the facility has taken to correct these
concerns.
Your Visit
List the top five facilities that meet your particular needs
and then plan a visit to each one. Prepare for the visit by
making a list of questions you need to ask. There is a list
of “Suggested Questions” on the main page of the Department
of Public Health web site to guide you. Also, whenever
possible, go with another person, so that you have someone
to discuss the pros and cons of each location with after
your visit. It is suggested that you make an appointment for
your first visit to be sure someone will be available
to answer your questions, and give you a tour. Once you have
narrowed your choices to two or three facilities, it is
suggested that you return for a visit at different times of
day, so that you can get a clear picture of how the facility
operates.
Using Professional Help
In many cases making this selection must happen with
very little time to allow for this process, or you may live
at a distance from where the person needs the care. In this
case, it may be wise to hire a Professional Geriatric Care
Manager to assist you. A Professional Care Manager typically
can accelerate this process due to their up to date
knowledge of the local facilities and can expedite making
the right match for you and your families’ particular needs.
A Professional Care Manager can also support a lone
caregiver or out of state caregiver that would like an
advocate and consultant on site to assist in this often
overwhelming process.
Above all, trust your instincts and use your senses to see,
feel, smell and hear what the environment is like on a
typical day. Do not be hesitant to ask questions and if the
answers are vague or the responder is not willing to provide
you with answers, this may not be the right facility for
you. Although the selection of a Nursing Home or Skilled
Nursing Facility can be challenging, by taking these few
steps you can feel more confident in your choice.
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About The Author
Kate Granigan, LICSW is the Executive Director of C.A.R.E,
LLC a private geriatric care management practice serving
elders throughout Massachusetts. She can be reached at (781)
837-744 or on the web at
www.care-elderspecialist.com.
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