When a loved one can no longer care for himself on his own, there are practical and safety issues that have to be addressed. If there is no available family member to take the person in, finding a private facility that can provide a safe nurturing environment becomes necessary. To ensure you select the right facility, there are important questions to ask of Newark NJ nursing homes before making a final decision.
First and foremost, you need to ask if the facility is certified and accredited. Accreditation by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is what you are looking for. If there a Gold Seal of Approval displayed, it means the JCAHO has inspected the facility and approved its level of safety and quality.
Any facility that has Medicaid or Medicare certification will be on a list you can find online. You can look up facilities by geographical region or enter a specific facility name. The website lets you sort data using all kinds of criteria. There are star rankings indicating the results of inspections, recommended guest to staff ratios, and quality of care.
You need to know what the policies of the facilities are. You should be provided with some type of policies and procedures pamphlet. You might want to know if a resident is required to accept a roommate, and what the process for pairing guests is. If your loved currently has a pet, you will want to know if pets are allowed to live with residents. You need to know how the facility handles difficult patients.
Safety and security are very important topics to discuss. You should ask about fire alarms, smoke detectors, and escape routes in case of fire. What kind of backup generators the facility has may be important to you. You need to find out how they make sure the guests' belongings are secured. They may or may not have safety deposit boxes available for instance. You will want to know if security guards are on duty twenty-four hours a day.
Many facilities have planned activities for residents and exercise and gaming areas. If the home has a pool or tennis courts on site, you can ask about hours of operation and how these areas are monitored. There may be special event rooms available to residents to celebrate birthdays and holidays. You need to know if there is a fee for using them and if they have to be reserved in advance.
The cost is probably an important consideration. It won't matter what a home provides, if your loved one can't afford to live there. You should get a detailed fee schedule from the facility management. They are required by law to provide them. This will tell you what is covered in the monthly fee and what things are extra.
It's never easy to place a loved one in a nursing facility. When you have no other choice, you must make sure the facility you select has a safe and nurturing environment. That is certainly what you would want if you were the one entering the home.
First and foremost, you need to ask if the facility is certified and accredited. Accreditation by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is what you are looking for. If there a Gold Seal of Approval displayed, it means the JCAHO has inspected the facility and approved its level of safety and quality.
Any facility that has Medicaid or Medicare certification will be on a list you can find online. You can look up facilities by geographical region or enter a specific facility name. The website lets you sort data using all kinds of criteria. There are star rankings indicating the results of inspections, recommended guest to staff ratios, and quality of care.
You need to know what the policies of the facilities are. You should be provided with some type of policies and procedures pamphlet. You might want to know if a resident is required to accept a roommate, and what the process for pairing guests is. If your loved currently has a pet, you will want to know if pets are allowed to live with residents. You need to know how the facility handles difficult patients.
Safety and security are very important topics to discuss. You should ask about fire alarms, smoke detectors, and escape routes in case of fire. What kind of backup generators the facility has may be important to you. You need to find out how they make sure the guests' belongings are secured. They may or may not have safety deposit boxes available for instance. You will want to know if security guards are on duty twenty-four hours a day.
Many facilities have planned activities for residents and exercise and gaming areas. If the home has a pool or tennis courts on site, you can ask about hours of operation and how these areas are monitored. There may be special event rooms available to residents to celebrate birthdays and holidays. You need to know if there is a fee for using them and if they have to be reserved in advance.
The cost is probably an important consideration. It won't matter what a home provides, if your loved one can't afford to live there. You should get a detailed fee schedule from the facility management. They are required by law to provide them. This will tell you what is covered in the monthly fee and what things are extra.
It's never easy to place a loved one in a nursing facility. When you have no other choice, you must make sure the facility you select has a safe and nurturing environment. That is certainly what you would want if you were the one entering the home.
About the Author:
You can get a detailed list of the things to consider before picking Newark NJ nursing homes at http://www.gowd.us right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment