September 29, 2000
Choosing A Nursing Home 
By: Gail R Mitchell

Many Caregivers have grown up thinking that 
they would never want to place their loved 
one into a nursing home. The decision is 
probably one of the hardest ones you will 
ever have to face in your lifetime. 
Unfortunately life doesn't always go the 
way you would like it to. You may have 
promised your loved one that you would not 
place them in a nursing home and you and 
you may even feel like a failure for no 
longer being able to care for them. However, 
when you are no longer able to care 24/7 
because you may be burned out, your loved 
one has a chronic illness that does not 
require hospitalization but needs supervision 
and care, reality kicks in and the need may 
be upon you to make a choice. For some 
of you, there may not be a choice. Your 
loved one may be transferred from the 
hospital directly into a nursing home following 
an operation, sudden illness or an accident 
to convalesce.

As people age, their needs are constantly 
undergoing change. The purpose of a nursing 
home is to help people care for themselves 
and to assist them until their final days. 
Skilled 24 hour nursing care and medical 
supervision is required usually when a patient 
is taken directly from a hospital because 
they are recovering from a surgery or major 
treatment. Custodial care means they are in 
need of care because they cannot live 
independently due to a serious chronic illness 
or a disability. They might not require skilled 
nursing and medical attention but they do 
need full time care and supervision.

It is best to retrieve information on nursing 
home facilities by referrals or recommendations 
from physicians, home care professionals, 
geriatric care managers, social workers, 
hospital staff, friends, and clergy. You can 
also check through the Eldercare Locator, 
professional and consumer service 
organizations, your state or local health 
department and the department of aging.

Nursing Homes Provide:

·Room and board, skilled nursing 

·Medical services (nurses and  doctors)

·Rehabilitation (therapies and  counseling, 
 such as speech,  psychological  and 
 physical,) 

·General supervision 

·Provide opportunities for  recreation and 
 socialization 

Some questions you may ask yourself, 
your loved one and also family members 
who may be involved in this decision are 
as follows:

·Can I continue to provide the  needs for our 
 loved one on a  24-hour basis? 

·Am I able to provide the quality  of care 
 they need? 

·Am I jeopardizing my own  health and/or 
 the needs of my  own family?

·In your current living  arrangement does 
 your loved  one miss or want more social 
 interaction?

·Does your loved one have a  pet?

·Are they chronically ill where  they require 
 intensive care but  not hospitalization?

·Do they require help with their  daily living 
 activities such as  bathing, dressing, 
 eating and  using the toilet?

·What do your finances permit  for? 

·What does Medicare and their  health 
 insurance provide? 

·What does their long-term  care (LTC) 
 insurance provide?

·Would my relationship with  my loved 
 one improve if  they are placed in a facility?

·Have the patient's doctors and  homecare 
 professionals  recommended your loved 
 one  be placed into a nursing home?

Part ll
Next week, the conclusion will be posted. It 
will include the following:

·Considerations to look  for when choosing 
 a nursing  home

·Nursing Home Evaluation Form

·Additional Resources

·Nursing Home Residents'  Bill Of Rights

Richest Blessings, 
Gail



We look forward to the opportunity 
of serving you. We welcome your 
comments, suggestions, and questions. 
Please feel free to contact us at: 
mailto:boomersint@aol.com or 
mailto:grm4love@care-givers.com







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