Your parents have retired from their jobs in Alabama and currently enjoy their golden years. Unfortunately, their old age is starting to catch up with them, leaving them unable to take proper care of themselves alone. It is time to consider putting mom and dad in a nursing home.
You have a lot to consider in your choice of nursing home, both to find the perfect fit for your parents and to take steps to get ahead of potential nursing home abuse. U.S. News & World Report has some tips on narrowing down your options.
Get a sense of mealtime
Meals at a nursing home should be more than nutritious. When touring nursing homes, ask to sit down for a meal. Specifically, get a sense of what the dining area feels like. Do residents eat alone? Do they eat when they want? Does it feel more like a family dinner where residents laugh and share stories? Also, take note of the nutrition value of the meals served.
Ask about resident entertainment and engagement
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to a number of health problems during one’s senior years. Nursing home residents who do not move around much can develop bedsores, an indication of potential nursing home abuse. Ask how residents spend their time on a day-to-day basis. Look to see if residents seem relatively happy in their settings.
Get to know management
Nursing home abuse sometimes starts from the top and trickles down from there. Get to know the person(s) in charge of the nursing home. Do some digging to see how long management has been at the facility, if any complaints exist and how much experience management has.
This information is only intended to educate and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
