A nursing home (like PJ Old Folks), also known as a skilled nursing facility, provides a broad variety of health and personal care services.
These services typically include nursing care, 24-hour monitoring, four meals a day, and assistance with everyday activities. Rehabilitation services, such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy, are also offered.
Certain people live at a nursing home for a short-term period after residing in the hospital. After they recover, they go home. However, most nursing home occupants live there permanently because they have pertinent physical or mental conditions that require continuous care and monitoring.
If you need to go to a nursing home subsequently after a hospital stay, the hospital staff can help you find one that will provide the kind of care that's best for you. If you are looking for a nursing home, ask your doctor's or nurses for recommendations. Once you know what options you have, it's a terrific idea to:
Consider. What is pertinent to you—nursing care, food, physical therapy, a religious connection, hospice care, or appropriate care units for dementia patients? Do you want a place close to family and friends so they can easily visit?
Ask. Talk with friends, relatives, social workers, and religious groups to find out what places they propose. Check with healthcare providers about which nursing homes they feel provide adequate care.
Call. Get in contact with every place on your list. Ask questions about how many people stay there and what the cost is like. Find out about waiting lists.
Visit. Make plans to meet with the director and the nursing director. For example, look for:
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Residents who look well cared for
Warm cooperation between staff and residents
Talk. Don't be afraid to ask questions. For example, ask the staff to explain any vigorous smell. Bad odors might indicate a complication; good ones might hide a issue. You might want to find out how long the director and heads of nursing, food, and social services departments have worked at the nursing home. If key members of the staff change often, that could mean there's something wrong.
Visit again. Make a second visit without calling ahead. Try another day of the week or time of day so you will meet other staff representative and see different activities. Stop by at mealtime. Is the dining room appealing and hygienic ? Does the food look yummy?
Understand. Once you select a nursing home, carefully read the agreement. Question the director or assistant director about anything you don't understand. Ask a good friend or family member to read over the agreement before you put your signature on it.