Choosing a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, or assisted-living home for yourself or a loved one can be a confusing process. To make the best possible choice, you need to have the best possible information—but it can be difficult to know where to turn.
Consult with a Physician Before Selecting A Facility
A good place to begin in making this important decision is by consulting with a primary care physician or other medical professional or specialist. Each resident of a nursing home will have individualized medical needs, and a physician will be able to help you select a facility that is in the best position to meet those needs.
Personally Visit Nursing Home Facilities
A skilled nursing facility should not feel like a hospital—it should feel like home. It is a place where you or your loved one should feel at ease. Visiting potential nursing homes personally is one of the best ways to determine where a resident will feel the most comfortable, because this is typically a matter of personal preference. However, simply visiting a nursing home will not necessarily give you all the information you need to determine whether you or your loved are likely to receive quality care.
Use the “Nursing Home Compare” Tool at Medicare.gov
In addition to consulting a physician and visiting nursing homes personally, using the “Nursing Home Compare” tool available at the federal medicare website allows you to compare and contrast the quality of care provided by multiple nursing homes in your area. The site provides overall star ratings and health-inspection ratings for each facility you are considering, along with critical information regarding the number of RN hours, LPN hours, and nurse-aide hours provided at each facility per resident, per day. It also helps you understand how these and other facilities have performed in key measures on average in Georgia and across the nation.
Hold Nursing Homes Accountable For Abuse
We all hope and expect that the nursing homes we choose will provide the best possible care to each and every resident. But tragically, this will not always be the case—even when we have done everything in our power to make the best possible choice. Eric J. Hertz, P.C. strives to hold these facilities accountable when they betray the trust that has been placed in them.
Eric J. Hertz, P.C.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers