Hello, my name is Amelia. Welcome to my site about nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When my mother developed a hip problem that prevented her from safely living at home alone, we started the long search for a suitable place for her to live. We toured each of the facilities in our area to find the one that felt most like home while providing all of the support and security she requires. Through this site, I would like to help other people weed through the options to find the best possible place for their loved ones to live. Thanks for visiting my site.
Exploring Nursing Homes and Assisted Living
Three Important Features To Look For When Choosing A Nursing Home For Your Parent
John Wilson
If your parent is no longer capable of taking care of themselves, and you are not equipped to deal with their particular health issues, then you are likely looking for a good nursing home. This list is going to give you three things you should look for when searching for the perfect place.
Quality Medical Standards
The first thing you should do is make sure that the nursing home has good medical standards. You can speak with the intake coordinator and discuss the different practices that the nursing home has in effect, such as how many doctors are on staff, how many nurses, what sort of emergency medical equipment is on site. Can residents be treated for issues on site, or will they need to be transported off site to a nearby hospital? You can also visit Medicare's official site and check to see the rating for that particular site.
Socialization and Physical Activities
Beyond the medical issues, you also want to make sure that your parent will have ample socialization and physical activity. Tour the nursing home and make sure that you don't see people just sitting in wheelchairs in corridors or lying in their room staring off into the distance. You want to make sure that the nursing home has scheduled activities that your parent can take part in. The activities might be simple things such as board games, card games, or book clubs. Or they might be more physically engaging for those patients who are still mobile (such as yoga).
Besides group activities, you should check to see if the nursing home has any sort of physical maintenance program that is aimed at keeping your parent in shape, such as a pool for water aerobics or even a gym with bikes and treadmills.
Dedicated Dementia and Memory Care Program
One of the important areas you need to look into is memory care. Many elderly people will end up with memory problems, so it is important that the nursing home has a special program that can help those who are beginning to struggle with their memory. The treatments can range from psychological counseling to medication and memory improvement practices.
It might also be helpful if the facility has a special wing devoted to dementia and Alzheimer's care. The residents who suffer from advanced dementia or Alzheimer's will need to have nursing staff that is specially trained to deal with the particular needs of these patients.
To learn more, contact a facility like Alta Ridge Communities.
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