Nursing homes can all seem the same from afar. However, once you begin checking out homes for your loved one, it will quickly become clear just how different each facility truly is. To find the home that’s perfect for your elderly loved one’s mental and physical needs, you should be paying close attention to each potential nursing home’s setup. To ensure you make the right choice, here are nine qualities that can perfect the nursing home experience:
1. Amenities
Especially when it comes to modern nursing homes, there must be plenty of amenities to keep nursing home residents both happy and involved. Whether it’s equipment that will help them build a hobby, a pool, or some other fantastic amenity, these will help your elderly loved one transition into their new home setting with ease (and even excitement).
2. Clean Living Facilities
One of the first things you should look into when considering a nursing home is how clean and well-kept the facilities are. Unclean, poorly kept facilities can lead to injuries and infections in elderly people, after all. If for some reason your loved one is harmed due to poor facility maintenance, you should get in touch with a nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible.
3. Daily Activities
Every day comes with the possibility of adventure. Just because your loved one is living in a nursing home does not mean that their life has to become paused. Quality homes should provide daily activities that are meant to keep their residents engaged. These activities will help keep your elderly loved one young at heart, and will keep their mind nimble as well.
4. Community Events
Alongside daily activities, nursing homes often put together community events that are meant to keep all of their residents aware of, and involved with, one another. When your loved one is first transitioning into their new home, these events can help them make new friends with ease. If a home does not provide frequent community events, it should not be a serious consideration.
5. A Patient Staff
Let’s face it, elderly people can be difficult to deal with at times. Knowing that a nursing home’s staff is patient, caring, and understanding is key to having peace of mind after placing your elderly loved one into a home’s care. As you visit a potential facility, mingle with the staff to get a feel for their personalities, and take care to examine how the staff interacts with other residents.
6. Beautiful Views
Everyone benefits from seeing the beauty of nature now and then. Your loved one will want to go outside when possible, and when they do, knowing that they will be seeing a beautiful landscape can be incredibly heartwarming. If you want your loved one to feel a sense of awe about the world they are living in, finding a home with beautiful outdoor views is highly recommended.
7. Reasonable Visiting Hours
Nothing can be as frustrating as a nursing home that fails to provide reasonable, accessible visiting hours. Especially during the first few months of your loved one’s residency, knowing that you can drop in frequently (and conveniently) is of utmost importance. Before you make a final decision, be sure to assess whether the facility you’re considering has visiting hours that will work for you.
8. A Connection to the Community
Beyond community events inside of the nursing home’s walls, many quality homes will bring in people within the local community to visit with, talk to, and engage with their residents. This will help your loved one feel connected to the town they are living in, which can do absolute wonders for their mental and physical health.
9. Dietary Options
Depending on your loved one’s health, their dietary needs can vary wildly. Especially at an advanced age, making sure that you’re consuming a diet that is right for you is critical. With this being said, you should make a huge effort to ensure the nursing home that you’re considering can provide your elderly loved one with the unique dietary options that they need.
Always Search for a Home with a Solid Reputation
By finding a nursing home that has a solid reputation, in addition to the qualities we’ve already discussed above, you can feel positive that you’re making the right choice. Your loved one will be making a huge transition over the next few months, but with these qualities built into their new home, they can see the change as exciting, instead of being simply alien and overwhelming.
