Choosing a long-term care facility can be very stressful. While you’re doing research on your best options, go on tours and ask lots of questions., including these 10 from The 10 Best Questions for Living with Alzheimer’s by Dede Bonner, Ph.D.
THE 10 BEST QUESTIONS WHEN TOURING A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY
The Joint Commission’s nursing home specialist, Dale Johnson, suggests, “The best way to know is to go visit yourself and observe. If you overhear the staff talking about so-and-so’s mom or calling her by name, that’s a different level of care than the staff who refers to ‘the patient in bed A’ or ‘the person who loses his socks.’ ”
Don’t fall for the glitzy tour pitch from the facility’s director. During the tour, ask yourself these questions while you keep your eyes, ears, and nose on full alert. The following Best Questions have been adapted from AARP’s warning signs for bad nursing homes.
- Are there strong odors, particularly of urine or heavy disinfectant as a cover- up?
- How clean is the facility? (Ask to see an occupied resident’s room to judge janitorial care.)
- Do you see the use of restraints, such as chair, bed, or wheelchair straps or vests, or bruises, welts, or cuts on the residents?
- Are residents’ needs for privacy treated with respect, such as undressing them in private?
- Does the staff speak to the residents (or one another) rudely or disrespectfully? Do staffers know residents by name and as individuals? Are the staffers speaking in a language your loved one doesn’t know?
- Are calls for help answered promptly? Are there grab bars and other safety features?
- Are residents’ food trays full or only half eaten? Are staffers helping residents to eat?
- Do residents look lonely, unhappy, inactive, or immobile? Are they clean, dressed, and groomed?
- Are you greeted or acknowledged by staff members, or is your presence ignored or even resented?
- Is there a wide discrepancy between how well decorated and brightly lit the lobby/common areas are compared to the residents’ hallways and rooms?
Long-time caregiver and author Patricia Callone suggests, “I recommend making pop-in visits unannounced around mealtime to see if people have eaten their food and to check for cleanliness.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dede Bonner, Ph.D., aka “The Question Doctor” and author of The 10 Best Questions for Living with Alzheimer’s (Copyright © 2008 by 10 Best Questions LLC), specializes in creative breakthrough and money-saving Best Questions for corporate clients and CEOs. She is on the graduate business faculty of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and is an internationally acclaimed expert in questioning skills and management. A former political analyst for the federal government, Dr. Bonner is the owner of New Century Management, Inc, and 10 Best Questions, LLC. She has a doctorate of education in executive leadership.
MORE ARTICLES BY THE AUTHOR
- 10 Best Questions to Ask to Find a Top Alzheimer’s Specialist
- 10 Questions to Ask if Your Spouse Has Been Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease
- 10 Tips on Treating Your Fibromyalgia
- How Do I Find Help for My Parent With Alzheimer’s Disease?: The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask
- How to Talk About Your Fibromyalgia Diagnosis With Those You Love
- When Should Dad Go to a Nursing Home?
LEARN MORE
- Read the Introduction to The 10 Best Questions for Living with Alzheimer’s
- See the book’s Table of Contents
- Browse more books by Dede Bonner, Ph.D., “The Question Doctor”
