Don't Judge A Senior Community By It's Beauty
Elderwerks tries to make sure families look at communities and facilities in an objective way. We help the families choose the best community for their loved one. We ask the families to tour at different times of the day, learn about the interaction between residents and staff, talk with the residents, and participate in an activity or meal. Do your homework before committing to a lease.
When touring most people look at the walls, floors, lighting, and aesthetics vs. the quality of care and life in the building. Unfortunately, families will discount a community, because the building looks older and the décor or the furniture is old. If the building is clean, employees are caring and considerate, and the residents seem happy, then maybe overlook the aging building and focus on the quality. Helping a loved one find a new lifestyle is an emotional endeavor, but helping someone to thrive vs. live is important.
When touring, take along a checklist to make sure you ask the right questions and look at the community from the inside out. Prioritize what you’re looking for in a community. You need to understand what your loved one feels is important and take their wants and needs into consideration rather than your own. Distance to a community is not as important as your loved ones care needs.
If you are looking for a skilled nursing facility, check their Medicare rating. Five stars are the best and 1 stars the worst. Skilled nursing homes are reviewed yearly by the Department of Public Health. These reviews will list deficiencies, violations and how the community worked to remedy the situation. By law, all nursing homes must provide the potential resident or their family with a copy of this document. The first thing you should do when touring a nursing home is to ask for this document so you can review it to determine if it’s the best place for your loved one.
If your family member needs specialized treatments, for example dialysis or cancer treatment, can the community transport your loved one or do they have to make arrangements on their own. If your family member has dementia, does the community or facility provide this specialized type of care management? Is the staff engaged and help make the building feel like a home like setting and really cares about the residents needs as the priority?
If you need assistance in finding the best community or facility for your loved one, or would like a copy of a checklist of questions to ask when touring a community, contact Elderwerks for your complimentary assistance.