Choosing the right nursing home is challenging. And COVID-19 has added another dimension when making long-term care decisions.
You or a loved one may confront this choice. Nearly 70% of 65-year-olds will need long-term care, according to HHS.
You can locate possible facilities and find inspection data by searching the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes rankings.
You can examine COVID-19 data on the CMS website. Data includes staff and resident immunisation rates and COVID-19 incidences and deaths.
– How are you protecting residents from COVID-19?– Are staff members and residents fully vaccinated with boosters against the virus?– Do residents have private rooms and bathrooms?– What is the number of COVID cases that would trigger a lockdown?
– What are your current visitor polices or restrictions?– What are the staffing ratios?– What is your staff turnover rate?– Which standard and higher-level services do you offer?
– What do nursing home surveys show?– How do you prevent pressure sores in this facility?– How does your facility avoid infections in general?– What if I run out of money?
– Do you provide special care for people with dementia?– How do you promote diversity so all residents feel comfortable?– What about mood-alerting medications?– How are you prepared for disasters?