3 Best Practices for Nursing Home and 3 Warning Signs That a Nursing Home is Best Avoided

nursing home view

Most people send their elderly loved ones to a nursing home because of affordability and convenience. You need to know what to look for when choosing a nursing home, or else your loved one will have a harsh ending to their life.

Look for the best practices in nursing homes to know what to look for when evaluating them. You should also know the nursing home warning signs. 

Best Practices for Nursing Homes

The following are some of the best practices for nursing homes: 

Cleanliness and Maintenance

One of the best practices for nursing homes is cleanliness. You want your loved one to live in as clean an environment as your home so evaluate nursing homes to see if they are clean. The outside may be deceiving, so ensure you check the inside to see if it is clean.

Great nursing homes are also well maintained. They quickly do repairs on worn-out areas and replace parts that are too damaged. If you see a run-down nursing home, you should turn away from it. If they cannot take care of their facilities, how will they take care of your loved one? 

Medical Staff and Facilities

Older people typically have challenging medical needs, which is why you send your loved one to a nursing home. The best nursing homes have adequate medical staff and facilities to care for their residents.

They should particularly always have a medical professional on standby in case of any medical emergency. Swift action could be the difference between life and death for a senior citizen. 

Check their medicine inventory, equipment, and practices to determine if it is a suitable facility for your loved one. You can also read reviews to see what people think about the medical staff, or find a nursing home owner and look into their management history.

Flexible Visitation

Nursing homes will have visitation hours so the residents can rest and partake in other activities. However, you should check a facility’s visitation policy to see if it is too rigid.

The best nursing homes have flexible visitation practices that will make exceptions even when it is not visiting hours.

caregiving elderly

It is not a prison, so you should be able to see your loved one whenever you please. Visitation in the middle of the night is inconsiderate on your part, but you should be able to see your family member if they are awake or during the day.

Nursing Home Warning Signs

The following are warning signs you should look for in nursing homes:

Staff Seem Harassed and Rushed

A nursing home’s staff is essential to its operation. In most cases, the staff will treat the residents how the administration treats them. Therefore, if the staff seems harassed and rushed, it is a warning sign that it is not the right nursing home.

Consult a PA Nursing Home Lawyer if you see such a warning sign in a PA nursing home. The staff should take time with the residents to ensure they are okay; rushing will often lead to mistakes.

They should be incredibly patient with special needs residents who require more attention. If they are always in a hurry, it is only a matter of time before a disaster happens, and your loved one may be the victim. 

Lack of Food

Nursing home patients require adequate nutrition, as do all people, and if you do not see food at a nursing home, it could signify deeper issues. Senior citizens eat at odd hours, so you should see food somewhere if you visit the nursing home during the day.

If you do not, it may be a sign of a lack of funding, and not feeding residents will undoubtedly cause more severe issues to their health. 

Physical Injuries

Many nursing homes in the past have subjected their residents to physical abuse and neglect. Considering you take your loved one to a nursing home to be looked after, physical injuries are the most significant warning signs. Therefore, look for bruises, sprains, and scars in the residents that look fresh and recent.

Broken bones, burns, and dislocations signify substantial physical abuse, which you should report to the authorities immediately. Do not rush to conclusions and talk to the patients to determine the cause of the physical injuries. 

If you take your elderly loved one to a nursing home, you should learn about their best practices and the warning signs of negative issues.

The above is the tip of the iceberg, as there is more to look out for at nursing homes. Be sure to learn as much as possible to ensure your loved one gets the best treatment at a nursing home.