When you can’t take care of your senior family member, and the best choice you can make for his/her well-being is to find the best nursing home care, that decision is difficult for the whole family. From choosing the best facility to making sure your loved one is in good hands, fear of possible violations is the biggest concern (among many others).
Unfortunately, there are many nursing homes with numerous abuse and neglect reports. When you even think about that, you start questioning everything because safety and overall well-being are the number one priority.
And yes, it is quite scary to know that you hold such a big responsibility because your choice is going to affect the rest of the life of your loved one, and his/her safety and well-being are in your hands. But if you know what to look for and what precautionary measures you can take, it gets much easier.
Here are some important things to know about safety in nursing homes that will help you make the best possible choice for your elderly.
A Lifestyle of Care & Compassion
Something you should worry about in the first place is what lifestyle a nursing home can provide to your loved one. Wellness and compassion should be at the center, but how do you make sure that your senior family member is going to get that?
First of all, you must be involved in their staying and everyday activities and medical condition. Families can’t navigate the complexities of nursing home care if they aren’t informed and proactive.
You need to make sure that the facility is encouraging family involvement and that they are more than willing to provide you with all the necessary information about the resident. Of course, you must come frequently to see with your own eyes that everything is how they say it is.
When you see for sure that the environment the facility creates for the residents is caring and well-organized, you are going to feel more confident about your decision.
Balancing Health, Wellbeing, and Responsibility
Treating your senior family member’s health and lifestyle in a nursing home shouldn’t be any different from treating your own.
You wouldn’t go to a spa with bad recommendations or complaints from clients, right? Well, the stakes are much higher when it comes to choosing the right care for your elderly loved one. The risk of violations can have a devastating effect on your family member’s life, so you need to make sure that there’s no place for impactful errors/violations.
There are facilities with a history of nursing home violation incidents, and you need to check thoroughly the facility you are considering to make sure they didn’t have any similar problems by now.
But just checking reports and previous violations isn’t enough. You should find out how they balance the wellness of their residents and what they are doing for their overall well-being.
If any incident happens, families are left with guilt and frustration because they blame themselves for not checking thoroughly enough the facility they chose for their loved one.
On the other hand, nursing home violations can have far-reaching consequences for residents. From physical to emotional to social, residents may end up suffering serious consequences with potential long-term negative effects because of neglect or poor care.
That is why you don’t need to hesitate to check everything, from administration to addressing health concerns.
Spotting Red Flags (on Time)
In order to prevent possible problems in nursing homes, certain warning signs/red flags should be sought; these may include (but are not limited to):
- Staff Turnover: If you notice that the staff turnover is high, this can indicate some hidden issues in the facility.
- Cleanliness and Hygiene: You can’t expect that a facility with poor cleanliness and hygiene is going to take good care of your loved one.
- Feedback From Residents: The most effective approach to learning about how the facility treats its residents is to engage with its current residents.
- History Of Violations: Check whether the target facility has a history of regulatory violation incidents and study their inspection reports carefully and thoroughly.
Conclusion
To be honest, mistakes can always happen, and even the best facilities with the highest rates and the best recommendations can make omissions. But, if you give your best effort in checking everything you can thoroughly and stay proactive and involved, the room for errors is minimal.
That’s why it’s so important that you see the benefits of checking all safety measures and look for a certain level of professionalism, cleanliness, dedication to the overall well-being of residents, and watch for red flags. If you notice any of them, skip that facility immediately.
That way, you’ll ensure you’re making the best possible decision for your loved one.
