Nursing homes are plentiful, but not all of them offer the same care that you would expect. By understanding the basics to include in your search, you can narrow down the list of choices and walk away with the peace of mind knowing you picked the right nursing home for your loved one.
How to Pick a Nursing Home in Plainview, NY
For starters, you should always tour a nursing home. After your initial tour, go back and do a second one to see if anything has changed. During both visits, bring along this checklist and consider the following:
Smells
A nursing home should not have any unusual smells present, especially stale smells or that of urine. You want a nursing home that is clean, sanitary, and takes their resident’s comforts and health seriously.
However, nursing homes will have different smells. There are patients on medications and diet restrictions that can lead to gas. Also, as people age, they do lose control of their bladder and bowels. Therefore, it is important to realize that you might have a faint odor on one visit, but not on another. If the room you are considering for your loved one is overbearing with a smell, then you should be concerned.
Listen for Sounds
You should walk the halls during your tour and just listen. Do you hear anyone moaning or crying? Do you hear residents calling for help? Also, see how staff members address residents, their tone used when they speak to them, and how residents react to staff members.
How Is the Staff
The staff at the nursing home is integral in a nursing home resident’s care; therefore, you should give them the most scrutiny. A few things to watch with the staff during your visit:
- How helpful they are with other residents. Do staff members seem attentive to residents? Are they assisting them with food, requests, and making them comfortable?
- The attitude of the staff toward residents and you as a visitor. See how the staff react to your questions, how they talk to residents and other team members, and get an impression of their personality. Are they warm, friendly, and willing to help you? Do they seem overworked, tired, and unprofessional? When staff members are annoyed at answering your questions, that should be a red flag. If they are annoyed at answering questions about their job and the care they provide, how will they be when a client needs assistance?
- How many staff members do you see on duty? While you are there, both times, count how many staff members you see and then ask about how many residents are in the nursing home currently. You want a good ratio of staff to residents because, otherwise, residents will not get the care and attention that they deserve.
Ask About Activities, Day-to-Day Routines, and Social Gatherings
One of the most important aspects of a nursing home is to provide a resident with social activities, exercise to keep them healthy, and a routine that ensures they receive the care they need. Ask about how nursing home residents will spend their days, if there are daily activities or social hours, and any special activities that happen throughout the month to encourage socialization. You should see a daily calendar where a resident has something to participate in, and it should be published where it is easily viewed.
Ask How the Home Handles Falls and Other Injuries
Falls can happen in nursing homes because, as residents age, they may lose their ability to hold their balance, they can trip and fall more easily, and these can lead to severe injuries. You want to know the nursing home’s policy and procedure for resident accidents and what they do to ensure that the resident receives proper care and that the accident is prevented in the future.
Paying for Nursing Home Care
Paying for a nursing home is one of the biggest concerns on residents’ minds. You know that you need the nursing home care, but what if your savings are too low? Perhaps you do not have a trust, or you have no income stream. Luckily, there are ways to pay for a nursing home.
One of the most popular methods is Medicare. Medicare is a federal insurance benefit that pays for a number of days in a nursing home. You also have Medicare Advantage Plans that do not require hospitalization before entering a skilled nursing home facility. Also, you may be able to choose a nursing home that is close by, as long as it is within the network.
Medicaid is another option for nursing home care. When you do not have the assets or income to pay for the nursing home care you need, you can use this federal benefit. Medicaid is a federal government assistance program that is run by each state.
Planning for Long-Term Care? Meet with an Estate Planning Attorney
One of the best ways to plan for long-term care in the future is to do so with a well-drafted estate plan. You can work out a plan to cover the costs of a potential nursing home stay or in-home nursing home care. Also, you can explore your options for Medicaid and go through a Medicaid plan, which ensures that your assets are adequately distributed so that you qualify for federal assistance.
In New York, you would need Institutional Medicaid. To plan for this, you must ensure your assets are protected and that you reduce any penalty periods that would prevent you from getting Medicaid benefits.
To get started on your long-term care plan or to learn more about Medicaid planning, contact the Law Office of Andrew M. Lamkin, P.C. We can meet with you for a free consultation and discuss your long-term care concerns along with helping devise an estate plan.
Call 516-605-0625 to schedule an appointment or contact us online with your questions.
Andrew Lamkin is principal in the law firm of Andrew M. Lamkin, P.C., where he focuses his practice in the areas of elder law, estate planning and special needs planning, including Wills and Trusts, Medicaid planning, estate administration and residential real estate transactions. He is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.
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