What Makes a Great Nursing Home and How to Find It
Eventually, many of us will spend time living in a nursing home. This does not need to be a negative or stressful transition. Instead, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience that also increases a persons’ safety, improves their health and overall wellbeing. The key is finding a great nursing home to live in since the facility and staff make all the difference in a persons’ quality of life.
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What Makes a Great Nursing Home
There are several key factors that make one nursing home better than another. They include –
#1 Treating residents with respect.
Older folks are no less valuable because of age or ability. Far from it. Nursing home staff who appreciate their residents, respect them and treat them like the valuable citizens they are, make it easier for residents to transition because they are not being treated differently. They are just in a different setting.
#2 Good food.
Everyone likes good food and it is normal to have personal preferences. Residents should look for nursing homes who offer a variety of food options. Visiting a home during lunch or dinner time is a good idea and so is sampling the food since if it tastes bad, residents may not eat and lose weight.
#3 Fun activities.
For most residents, their social circle and activities happen inside the nursing home or during trips they sponsor. Facilities with an activities director and a variety of daily and weekly events make it easier for residents to forge bonds and to live a fulfilling life while there.
#4 Feels like home.
A nursing home should be comfortable and feel like home – not a hospital. This includes having homey common areas where residents can socialize.
#5 Clean and safe.
Nursing homes that smell bad or look dirty should be avoided since it is more likely that residents will be exposed to illnesses or suffer from poor quality care.
#6 Amenities.
Some nursing homes have amenities in addition to activities. These may include hair salons, movie theaters, shops, etc. The more amenities in a facility, the more independent residents will feel.
How to Find the Best Nursing Home in Tennessee
When selecting a nursing home, it is important to conduct research. Ways to find a good one include –
#1 View the Consumer’s Union Nursing Home Watch list.
Facilities who have poor or risky track records will be listed here and can be avoided.
#2 Compare costs.
Long-term care can be incredibly expensive. Find out what each facility will cost, what private insurance will pay and what will be covered by Medicare to find one that is affordable.
#3 Ask about the patient to staff ratio.
The more staff, the more likely that residents will receive high quality care.
#4 Read reviews online.
There may be reviews online from families of current or former residents. Read what they have to say and visit ones with high reviews.
#5 Take a tour.
Visiting the home, walking around, eating lunch and speaking with other residents is a good way to discover if a nursing home will be the right fit for your loved one.
Call for Help
Making the right choice of nursing home is critical for happiness, wellbeing and even safety. If after doing all the research something still goes wrong, a nursing home liability lawyer can help. To speak with a nursing home malpractice lawyer someone at The Higgins Firm, call 800.705.2121
Author Bio
Jim Higgins, founder of the Higgins Firm, is a seasoned personal injury attorney with deep roots in Nashville, Tennessee. A 4th generation Nashvillian, Jim carries on the legal legacy of his father, a judge for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Memphis School of Law, Jim’s career began on the other side of the courtroom, defending insurance companies and learning their tactics for minimizing settlements. However, he soon realized his true calling was fighting for the rights of the injured, and for the past several years, he has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Since then, his dedication and skill have earned him membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia, Jim focuses on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. His exceptional work has been recognized by his peers, earning him a spot on the Super Lawyers list from 2021 to 2024, a distinction awarded to only a select group of accomplished attorneys in each state.
