Choosing a nursing home for long-term care or short-term rehabilitation is no easy task. In addition to the objective data provided on our nursing home rankings pages, here you will find valuable tools and information to help you choose the best nursing home for yourself or a loved one.
*Nursing Home ChecklistThis checklist was developed by Medicare and "provides a detailed checklist for rating different nursing homes visited based upon, Quality of Life, Quality of Care, Nutrition and Hydration, and Safety. The checklist also elaborates on how to use the information discovered through Medicare's Nursing Home Compare tool when visiting nursing homes."
Click
here for the Nursing Home Checklist Tool
(Note: requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader)
This 72-page booklet developed by Medicare contains much detailed information on choosing a nursing home, including information about costs and insurance coverage.
Click
here to read the Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
(Note: requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader)
Below is a list of recommendations from the Massachusetts Dep't of Health and Human Services. In their words: "Choosing a nursing home for yourself or a loved one is a very important decision. Discuss the issue thoroughly with the individual involved and his or her personal physician. Consider what the travel limits are for those who will be visiting the person receiving services and identify the communities and nursing homes within those limits."
Step 1: Gather Information and Prepare for a Personal Visit to the Nursing Home
- Contact the facility's admissions representative to schedule an appointment for an informational meeting and tour of each facility. Ask for a copy of the facility's brochure, admissions policies, and the resident's bill of rights.
- Contact the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and ask to speak with the ombudsman who covers the facilities you are interested in.
- Contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality at http://www.mass.gov/dph/dhcq or call (617) 753-8000 to get the "Survey Performance Tool for Nursing Homes" or a copy of survey findings and complaint reports for the facilities under consideration.
Step 2: Visit Each of the Nursing Homes
- Visit the nursing home and meet with the admissions representative or administrator.
- Tour the nursing home and observe staff interactions with residents.
- Take the time to speak with residents and family members about their experiences.
- Ask questions and make observations. For assistance with this task click on Suggested Topics & Questions.
Step 3: Narrow Your Choices and Make a Selection
- Narrow choices and re-visit the facilities under consideration again at a different time of day if possible.
- Contact the admissions staff for advise about the admission process.
- Meet with the administrator and key staff to discuss specific concerns you may have about care needs and personal preferences.
- Ask to participate in care planning decisions.
- Be sure to visit often and remain involved in your loved one's ongoing care.
The National Institute on Aging's overview of nursing homes, including what to look for when choosing one, paying for nursing homes, and resources that can help with the process.
Finding Quality Nursing Home Care: brief article from the American Geriatric Society.
Visit our glossary, for more information about terms used on BostonNursingHomeRankings.com.
Please email us at info@bostonnursinghomerankings.com if you have questions about our information or if you find any data errors.