Separating the Good from the Bad: Choosing a Great Tennessee Nursing Home

By Thomas Greer | January 26, 2015

As our loved ones age and need more care than we can provide for them, we sometimes must make the decision to let a professional facility take over their primary care. This decision is not easy. When the nursing home is a great one, the residents benefit from kindness, safety, and security. But picking the wrong one can lead to horrific abuses of those we were trying to protect.

When choosing a nursing home there are several considerations to make:

  • Financial decisions: Because nursing home care is expensive, averaging $6,000 a month, a facility that participates in Medicare and associated state programs can help defray the costs.
  • The location of the home: Finding a facility near the people who will visit is important. It has been proven that residents who receive frequent visits are happier and receive better care.
  • The quality of the home: By doing a little research, you can discover a prospective nursing home’s reputation, including its complaint history, citations, and other deficiencies.
  • Specialized care: Be sure to find out if the nursing home can help with the special needs of your loved one. A good facility should be able to handle issues like dementia and complicated medical equipment.
  • References: Any facility worth its salt should provide references. In addition, the people you know and your loved one’s doctors should be able to provide accurate information about possible homes.
  • Visits to the facility: When you have located a nursing home that seems to meet your needs, it is important to pay a visit. And keep in mind that just because a place is physically attractive doesn’t mean the care is excellent. Be sure you take into consideration the entire facility, the appearance of the residents and their rooms, the activity schedule, the meal quality, and the attitudes of the administrators and staff.

The website California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform provides an excellent “Nursing Home Evaluation Checklist.” This type of tool is very helpful in considering all aspects of nursing home care.

You should never settle for a nursing home that you are not completely comfortable with. If you are lucky and do proper research, you will quickly discover a home that provides safety, comfort, plentiful activities, group interactions, and even amenities like a barbershop and beauty salon. At this point, you can rest assured you have chosen the right place for your loved one.

If, at any time, you become uncomfortable with your choice because of suspected abuse, don’t put off doing something about it. The Tennessee nursing home abuse attorneys with Bailey & Greer represent the victims of nursing home abuse throughout Tennessee. Call us toll free at 901-680-9777 for a free case evaluation.

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