Be Prepared to Ask the Right Questions When You Visit
You can learn a lot about nursing homes before you ever set foot in one, but your best information will come from visiting nursing homes and asking questions about their care and facilities. Download and print our Nursing Home Checklist so you can jot down important information about each place.
After you have narrowed down your nursing home choices, call and make appointments to visit each facility several times. If possible, bring your loved one with you on these visits. If that’s not possible, remember to keep your loved one’s needs and preferences in mind. Be sure to visit a facility more than once, on different days and at different times of the day. Don’t limit yourself to speaking only with administrative staff—take time to speak with caregivers, residents, and visiting family members.
Keep these questions in mind during your visit:
- Will your loved one be treated in a respectful way?
- Will her or she be able to participate in social, recreational, religious or cultural activities?
- Is transportation provided to community activities?
- Do residents have privacy for visits or personal care?
- Are there enough staff so your loved one gets adequate care?
- Does the nursing home provide a safe, clean environment?
- Is the nursing home close to family and friends so they can visit often?
- Is a bed available now or can you add your loved one’s name to a waiting list?
- Is the nursing home accredited by a state-approved accreditation organization? Being accredited means the nursing home meets certain additional standards for care that the state-approved accreditation organization sets.
- Are the nursing home and current administrator licensed in your state? This means that they have met certain standards set by a state or local government agency.
After your visit, write down any questions you still have about the nursing home or how the nursing home will meet your loved one’s needs. When you are close to deciding, ask a nursing home staff member if you can attend a resident council and/or family council meeting. These councils are usually organized and managed by the residents’ families to address concerns and improve the quality of care and life for the residents. Find out what improvements were made in the quality of life for residents in the last year and what the plans are for future improvements. This also gives you another opportunity to speak with family members and ask them if they and their loved ones are satisfied with the nursing home and its services.
After your loved one has moved into the nursing home, if you or your loved one don’t like the nursing home, your loved one can move to another facility with an available bed. 
The nursing home he or she leaves may require that you let them know ahead of time that your loved one is planning to leave. Talk to the nursing home staff about their rules for leaving. If you don’t follow their rules, you may have to pay extra fees.