Nursing Home Awareness

Family is crucial for your loved one's well being. Some homes do not contact family members if a problem occurs, such as if your loved one is wandering or if your loved one had to go to the emergency room. As a caregiver, you have the right to be informed if something should happen to your loved one.

2. Staff

Qualifications are extremely important, especially if your loved one has dementia. If staff is not familiar with a dementing illness, it will be difficult for them to communicate with your loved one.

If your loved one has dementia, I suggest finding a nursing home that is geared towards dementia persons. Many homes have a separate wing for dementia residents. However, please be careful. You want to make sure that your loved one will receive quality care. Do not be afraid to ask the qualifications of the staff.

3. Activity

Residents need social interaction. Be sure that your loved one is receiving the appropriate activity throughout the day. If you feel that your loved one is not receiving enough, you have the right to contact the facility. Your loved has the right to activity and should receive it. Some homes may use the excuse that your loved one is unable to do certain activities. This is NOT an excuse. Your loved one should not lie in bed all day. A worker can walk with your loved one or if they are in a wheelchair, the worker can push your loved one for a ride. Being cooped up in a room is not healthy. Just because a person has dementia, does not mean that they cannot join in on social gatherings and activities.

If the loved one does not wish to participate in activities and has challenging behaviors, the staff should be able to come up with alternatives such as sitting in a chair by the window.

If you notice that your loved one is consistently getting bed sores, ask the facility why. Bed sores can be caused by lying in bed all day or if a person is not bathed regularly.

4. Safety

How safe is the facility? If your loved one wanders, how do they handle the situation? I have heard of residents being restrained in the evening to stop wandering. Quality homes will have safety measures inside the facility. Many facilities have security systems where the only way to get out of the

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