Assisted Living FAQ - Questions to Ask Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living offers a mix of security and independent living, privacy and companionship and physical and social well-being. Assisted living communities in Ohio are required to be licensed by the State as residential care facilities if they provide any skilled nursing care such as administering medication or supervising diets. However, there are limitations to the amount of skilled care that a resident can receive within a licensed assisted living community. Below are lists of questions you should ask both yourself and the administration when looking at assisted living facilities. There are not necessarily any right or wrong answers; however, it is important to find a facility that can accommodate your needs.

About the organization

Is the environment comforting?

Does the assisted living community have a written description of its services and fees?

Will an admission contract be used? If so, does the admission agreement describe the service package (room, board, supervision, personal care, etc.) and prices?

Does the community strive to maintain resident autonomy and independence?

Does the assisted living community conduct a preliminary evaluation of the types of services the resident needs? Are family members or appropriate health care professionals involved in this evaluation?

Does the community create a service plan for each new resident?

Is there a staff person to coordinate home health care visits from a nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, etc. if needed?

Does the assisted living community explain the resident's rights and responsibilities? Ask to see a copy of the rights and responsibilities information.

Is there an official process to address resident complaints?

Does the organization have a resident council? A resident council meets regularly to talk about the care and services provided and ways to improve them. If there is a resident council, how often are the meetings? How does management deal with suggestions from the resident council, families and residents?

Are there different costs for various levels or categories of services?

Do billing, payment, and credit policies seem fair and reasonable?

Are there any government, private, or corporate programs available to help cover the cost of services to the resident?

Are residents required to purchase renters' insurance for personal property in their rooms?

Is 24-hour supervision or assistance available if needed?

Are health-related services and trained staff available should the resident need them?

Does the residence have specific policies regarding storage of medication, assistance with medications, training and supervision of staff, and record keeping?

Is self-administration of medication allowed?

Is staff available to assist residents who experience memory, orientation, or judgment losses?

What happens if the resident needs skilled nursing care temporarily and what are the costs?

As the resident's needs change, how is the decision made whether he or she will be able to continue living in the assisted living community?

Do they offer other services such as skilled nursing, memory care or rehabilitation on site?

Physical Features of the Residence and Facility

Is the community well-designed for your needs?

Is the floor plan easy to follow?

Are doorways, hallways, and rooms accommodating to wheelchairs and walkers?

Are elevators available for those unable to use stairways?

Are handrails available to aid in walking?

Are cupboards and shelves easy to reach?

Are floors of non-skid material and carpets firm to ease walking?

Does the residence have good natural and artificial lighting?

Is the residence clean, free of odors, and appropriately heated/cooled?

Are units for single and double occupancy available?

Do residents have their own lockable doors?

Is a 24-hour emergency response system accessible from the unit?

Are bathrooms private and designed to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers?

Are residents able to bring their own furnishings for their unit? What may they bring? What is provided?

Do all units have a telephone and cable or satellite TV? How is billing handled?

Is a kitchen area provided with a refrigerator, sink, and cooking element?

May residents smoke in their units? In public spaces?

May residents decorate their own units?

Does the residence provide housekeeping services in residents' units?

Can residents arrange for transportation on fairly short notice?

Are pharmacy, barber/beautician, and/or physical therapy services offered onsite?

Does the residence provide transportation to doctors' offices, the hairdresser, shopping, and other activities desired by residents?

Does the residence have sprinklers and clearly marked exits?

Does the residence have a means of security if a resident wanders?

Social & Recreational Activities

Is there evidence of organized activities, such as a posted daily schedule, events in progress, reading materials, visitors, etc.?

Do residents participate in activities outside of the residence in the neighboring community?

Does the residence have its own pets?

Are residents' pets allowed in the residence? Who is responsible for their care?

Do volunteers, including family members, come into the residence to help with or to conduct programs?

Does the residence create a sense of community by encouraging residents to participate in activities?

Are there opportunities to attend religious services?

Food Service

Do dining room menus vary from day to day and meal to meal?

Does the residence provide three nutritionally balanced meals a day, seven days a week?

Are snacks available?

May a resident request special foods, and can the residence accommodate special dietary needs?

Are common dining areas available?

May residents eat meals in their units?

May meals be provided at a time a resident would like, or are there set times for meals?

Tax Filing - Tax Deductions, Exemptions And Credits For The Care of Elderly Parents

Every day the number of households with multiple generations grows. The growth in multi-generation homes happens for a number of reasons including the economy. We're also living longer and the cost of nursing home or assisted living can be out of reach for many families. The result is children becoming caregivers for elderly parents.

This change is making many taxpayers wonder if their parents qualify as dependents and if they can deduct part or all of the expenses under the Qualifying Relative Exemption. The IRS has a set of 5 criteria to qualify for the deduction:

a. You are not a dependent of someone else.

b. If married must not file a joint return.

c. Your parent is a citizen or resident alien of the U.S., Canada or Mexico.

d. You paid more than half of your parent's support for the calendar year.

e. Their gross income was less than the exemption amount.

In most cases Social Security is not federally taxable income, this is particularly true if it is your parent's only income. If your parent is a qualifying dependent you may also include his or her medical expenses that you paid with yours on your return which may raise the total to a deductible level. However, even in the situation where your parent is not your dependent and you still pay all or part of their medical bills you can still include those costs with your expenses for your deduction.

Another tax advantage you may qualify for is Head of Household status. This is available to you if your parent qualifies as your dependent and you are not married in the eyes of the IRS and you pay more than half of your parent's household expenses. You may even qualify for this if your parent does not live with you but you cover half of their living expense.

The Dependent Care Credit may be available to you if your qualifying dependent is physically or mentally disabled, but remember like all credits rules apply. The IRS says, "An individual who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care had the same principal place of abode as you for more than half of the year, and was your dependent... " Your parent may qualify as a dependent for the purpose of this credit regardless of income, filing status, or whether you could be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.

The cost of paying for the care of a qualifying elderly parent while you work or look for work might make you eligible for a credit that is usually a percentage of the cost of care required in order for you to work dependent care expenses that you paid to a care provider. Once again there are very specific rules that apply; the care provider may not be you, your spouse or your child (under the age of 19). As part of your return you will be required to give name of the care provider and tax id or social security number.

The rules can be confusing and the IRS website provides a great deal of information for those willing to ferret it out. The information on the IRS website is not always as user friendly as you might like, so when in doubt always check with a qualified Certified Public Accountant.

Learn About Assisted Living And Elderly Transportation Facilities

Aging and illnesses that comes with the process are real. Numerous of you are already caring for old folks and you understand the difficulties involved. That is why most people end up choosing assisted living homes for their aging parents and relatives. These are alternatives for old people with no one to take care of them, including their busy children. If you are looking to take someone in these facilities, encourage everyone concerned to get involved.

It is always a good idea to gather around, as family members, to deliberate the long term care issue. What is more, the old, sickly father or mother should be part of the discussion. He or she can speak out his or her feelings and help everyone else know all the necessities. Usually, most senior people get emotional or feel as if their children want to desert them. This is often not the case and that is exactly the reason why these people need support and understanding.

It is imperative to focus on the senior person's medical history if known. If not known, then the next of kin should make an effort of taking the aged parent to the doctor for a proper check up. Generally, these people suffer stroke, diabetes, heart diseases, cancers, arthritis, and joint pains and so on. Getting a good scrutiny of their health condition is necessary.

It would help the immediate family to find an assisted living and transportation facility that would manage to fulfill the doctor's instructions. Pay attention to the kind of foods and drinks that a given organization provides as well as sanitation standards. Does it offer any recreational activities to help the old work out and relax? As far as this is concerned, many organizations are available and they have unique facilities and arrangement of services.

This means that some organizations would only provide fun and leisure activities for the old. Others would take care of their health and medical issues, as they have nurses and doctors. Additionally, some companies offer transportation services with their own shuttle buses. The long term care insurance as far as transportation is concerned is often not a burden for the seniors. In fact, some non-profit and government organizations offer insured free of charge services. Additionally, given companies have special autos for transporting old people, their wheel chairs and other tools.

A few go a step further to provide built-in entertainment gadgets in the autos, making them completely equipped and comfortable. If you choose an all round long term care home, then it means that you would give your aging mum, dad or relative a second residence. The only way to find and choose a good company is taking time to research. Visit the home and evaluate its facilities too.

For Many People Senior Retirement Living Will Be A Nightmare

Is their dream of senior retirement living becoming a pipe dream for many people? Are many of the elderly becoming a "forgotten generation"?

Increasingly living out your senior years is taking on some very disturbing aspects. As children relocate to new cities, countries and continents they are leaving behind their elderly parents. Traditionally parents have been revered and cared for. But shifts in populations and breakdowns in traditional family life, compounded by longer life spans have caused a severe dislocation in traditional family life.

In many third world communities, where children have met an early death, often through AIDS, the elderly parents are forced to become the mainstay of society supporting their grandchildren and other orphans. However the world focus is heavily biased towards the plight of children with very little focus on the dire hardships faced by the grandparents.

Families who have emigrated, or moved away looking for better opportunities have in many cases left their parents in old age homes. The stoic nature of this generation of elderly people makes them reluctant to admit that they are depressed and lonely. They are a generation that believes "it's all in your mind" and "you must pull yourself together" and so they try to survive the best way they can. But deep down they feel abandoned.

Their generation would rather keep family matters private. You do not "hang out your dirty washing in public"... so they suffer in silence. Thinking that to publicly discuss these issues would be disloyal and letting the family down. But it is very difficult to accept as without their family they don't have a lot to live for. They miss having their lives being enriched by the emotional support, and experiencing the ups and downs of life, of the younger generation.

Many families are moving because of the opportunities and quality of life offered in other countries. However the relocation of an aged parent is often a major problem as many countries won't easily accept them. They are potentially a financial drain on already limited resources. Countries may require sponsors to have a large financial backing which for families relocating is often not easy. Also there are often minimum residency periods before sponsorship is allowed.

This is a very sad, neglected generation because not only have they lost their family support system and contact they are also battling financially. Many have had their retirement funds trashed by poor money management, stock market crashes and lay-offs. This is now compounded by lower interest rates and rising medical costs and food inflation.

Emigration for job opportunities is a growing trend throughout the world. Taking its toll mainly on parents or grandparents who are left behind. In the worst cases the parents are left without any contact. In other cases the children provide financial support and in others the children provide both financial and moral support.

The older generation is finding it difficult to understand that their place in society is not recognised and that their contribution is not acknowledged. Their old age expectations are not being met.

So for many it will be a case of "grin and bear it" and do whatever you can to lessen the impact of the separation. New technologies, like Skype, are making it possible to maintain cheap contact with families spread out throughout the world. Being able to see and speak to your children and grandchildren can make a big impact.

Senior retirement living is moving into the new age where retirees may have to live out their lives on their own without the day-to-day support of their family. It is up to them to find ways to make the best of a challenging situation.

Know Your Elder Care Options

As our parents grow older, many of us will be faced with a difficult dilemma: How do I take care of my senior loved ones? Will I have the time and energy to care for them myself or will they need in-home care services? Even more pressing, how will I ever juggle this with my own daily tasks and caring for my children? While senior care for your elderly parent is almost certainly not an easy subject for you to approach, it is nevertheless essential that you ensure you are prepared for it. When daily tasks like bathing and dressing become too difficult for your senior parent, then as the adult child, the responsibility falls upon you to begin looking into senior care options for your loved one. Moving your aging parent into your own home is an option. However, because most adults have to work full-time jobs to support their families, this option is not the most ideal situation. In addition, most seniors want to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes. For a number of seniors, remaining in their homes and receiving part-time care assistance is feasible, for others who require a greater extent of care and supervision, this may be unrealistic. As you move forward in your search, you need to investigate all of your options thoroughly and always have the safety of your loved one as your first priority.

Assisted Living

Assisted Living is a long-term care option that allows your senior loved one to maintain a sense of independence while still receiving personal care. An Assisted Living community combines housing, support services and health care to assist their aging tenants. Assisted Living residents have as much freedom as they like while still having access to support services whenever they need. Assisted Living however isn't the most ideal for all seniors as they do not provide complex health-related services for particular disease like Parkinson's or hospice care.

Nursing Homes or Skilled Nursing Facilities

Nursing homes, or Skilled Nursing Facilities cater to seniors with medical conditions that require round the clock care. These communities provide all the same personal care services of an Assisted Living Facility with the addition of 24-hour nursing care. Residents typically live in private or shared accommodations and sometimes share bathrooms with other patients or adjoining rooms. Nursing Home Care tends to be more expensive than other facilities due to the volume of personnel and expensive medical equipment required to meet patient's medical needs.

Home Care

Home Care refers to non-medical support and care services that the senior receives in their own home by a personal caregiver who comes to them. Home care services provided by these non-licensed personnel include tasks of daily living such as cooking, cleaning, laundry and driving to and from appointments. These services are not covered by medicare.

Home Health Care

Home Health Care refers to medical related services that are provided by licensed health care professionals such as rehabilitation therapists and nurses, and are administered to the patient in their own home. The senior's residence could be their own home or an Assisted Living or retirement community.

These are a few of the most common senior care options you will come across as you begin searching for the right care option for your aging loved one. There is no one size fits all when it comes to senior care, you will need to evaluate your loved one's specific needs and conditions in order to decide on the best option for them. Starting out on the path to findinging senior care assistance for your senior parent can be overwhelming, but luckily there are a number of resources in your community to help guide you through the process step by step.

The Path to CNA Certification

A certified nurse assistant is a nurse who has passed a formal, state accredited training program and has passed a state certification exam. If you are currently a nurse aide or are considering a career in the healthcare industry as a nurse, you should strongly consider getting your CNA certification. Becoming certified can provide a nurse with more employment opportunities and, along with that, higher earning potential.

To gain employment as a nurse aide requires no formal training or certification. But you will need formal training to be qualified for employment as a certified nurse assistant. Getting your certification puts you a step ahead of the field because a certified nurse assistant can perform more duties than a nurse aide who is not certified. This can make you more valuable to employers, such as hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living homes.

Certification programs are offered through many community colleges, the Red Cross, and some employers will hire you as a nurse aide and assist with the certification process if you agree to work for them after gaining certification. They may even pay for you to take the state certification exam. And there are CNA classes online that can definitely help you with the theoretical portion of the certification process.

The length of time it takes to get your certification will depend on the type of program you are taking and whether or not you are able to take it on a full-time or a part-time basis. Programs offered through employers may take as little as two to six weeks to complete. Programs offered through the Red Cross or community colleges generally take a little longer, possibly up to six months, and you have to pay for these classes yourself.

Which program is right for you? There are benefits to both approaches, so one factor could be whether or not you have the time and the money to pay for formal training, which could cost between $300 and $600 (or more). Another question to ask yourself when deciding on the best path to certification is whether or not you will feel more prepared for the state certification exam by taking a formal training program through a college or the Red Cross, or if you feel that on-the-job training would make you better prepared. The exam consists of both a written portion and a clinical portion, and some nurses report having more nervousness about the clinical portion of the exam where you will be asked to demonstrate several nursing assistant skills.

Once you pass an accredited certification program the next step is to pass your state's CNA certification exam. Each state has its own CNA requirements, so be sure to check with your state board of nursing to determine exactly what your state requires before you sign up for any classes. After you pass the exam you will be listed in your state's nurse aide registry and qualified to work in that state as a CNA.

Nursing Home Alert Number One

Every single day, in some rehabilitation and care centers and in some nursing homes, patients are being permitted to develop bedsores on their bodies due to lack of care and negligence. Every doctor knows that to avoid and prevent bedsores, you must turn or move a patient at least once every two hours. Yet in some of the nursing homes where the care is lacking, patients are allowed to sit and lay in one position for up to six or seven hours each and every day and then the same in the nighttime. You can prevent this from happening to someone that you love by just knowing this information and by doing what you can to make sure that patients in all facilities are being taken care of.

I urge you to be very careful in choosing a rehabilitation and care center.

I urge you to be careful in choosing nursing homes. And if at all possible, try to keep yourself at home instead of resorting to using any of these corporations in your life. Every human would probably be better off in their own homes rather than residing in rehab and care centers and in nursing homes. Yes, there are some good ones, but there are some horrible ones. It is up to you to distinguish which is which one.

The following article is for your information. If you need professional help, contact a lawyer, counselor, or doctor immediately.

First ,a little background and information about nursing homes and rehab centers: Nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers are in a world of their own. And when you find the ones that are extremely focused on security so much that you feel like you are in a concentration camp and not in a nursing home, then you know that something is very wrong in that facility. I have learned from experience, from visiting patients and residents inside of various nursing homes and rehabilitation centers that the good nursing homes feel like that, like homes, while the bad nursing homes feel like you are in a war and you are the prisoner. Go with your feelings. If you are evaluating nursing homes and rehab centers, go with your feelings. Your feelings are true. If you feel that something is wrong but you cannot immediately put your finger on what is wrong, listen to your inner instinct, and search for a better nursing home or rehab center. The world is not all harmful. Trust that there are nursing homes that actually take good care of people. You just need to be diligent, focused and persistent in your evaluations of these places.

SO, what would you look for if you were looking for a good nursing home?

Try beginning here:

1. Peace, quietness with activity, cleanliness and orderliness.
   
   
   
   


2. Adequate room, space, recreation activities and appropriate therapy, equipment, tools and staff.
   
   
   
   


3. Advertisements, brochures, research and background & word of mouth reputation

Peace, quietness with activity, cleanliness and orderliness (These is what I saw when I visited the nursing home that actually takes care of their patients and residents)

Peace, quietness with activity and cleanliness and orderliness are priorities when searching out a great place to live or temporary visit. If you walk in and you feel peaceful, then you know the place is doing it's job. The peace that you should experience is not a "twilight" zone peacefulness where you hear no sound and see no people, but a peacefulness where you see the hub-bub of what's happening around.

In the good place, there were always relatives, friends, and even young people visiting. There was consistent and daily visitors and good activities. As opposed to the bad nursing home, where most of the activities were staff trying to keep residents in bed, and away from visitors.

If you walk into a place and see people arguing constantly or if you see someone having fits in the lobby and it appears to be a regular thing, you might need to look elsewhere for your nursing home or physical rehabilitation center. Cleanliness is of the utmost importance, so notice how the place looks. Notice if you are on one of the upper floors if there is dirty clothing around or soiled linens in the hallways. These are small signs that something is wrong. Notice if many of the residents or patients are complaining that their clothing is "lost" or that clothing doesn't seem to come back from the laundry at that place. These are all things to notice if you are going to do an appropriate evaluation of any facility.

Orderliness , yes notice that. Is everyone "losing" things? Are many patients or staff complaining that something is always "missing"? These are things to note and things to take into consideration when checking out a nursing home. Orderliness is a sign that things are possibly going okay but always thoroughly check out the physical rehabilitation place or the nursing home and keep checking it out until you are satisfied that you have seen everything that you need to see. Never choose a place in haste.

Adequate room, space, recreation activities, tools and staff:

Adequate room, space and recreation activities are very important in these facilities, nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers. Are you looking around and seeing overcrowded rooms? Are you seeing tons of wheelchairs all over the hallways but not seeing enough staff attending to those who need help?

Are you seeing residents and patients crying or yelling for help but the staff appears to be ignoring those pleas for help? Notice whatever you see, and make note s in your small notebook. You will not remember everything by member, so do not rely on that. Just write it all down.

Appropriate therapy equipment and tools:

Look for the physical therapy room. Have a tour of the entire place before committing to any admission to the facility. Specifically ask to see the physical therapy room if you are there for therapy. How is the equipment stored and maintained? Is the equipment clean? Is there enough equipment?

What about special equipment that is needed for patients and residents who have special needs? Are there "amputee" walkers in the therapy room or do the amputees have to hop around like a frog in order to get from one place to another in the physical therapy room. Are there crutches in the room but the personnel refuses to train the residents on the crutches? Are staff and personnel too occupied with being worried about liability rather than being occupied with helping, aiding and giving proper treatment and care to new patients?

Try and look at the therapy room when it is "full" -usually early in the morning or early afternoon. How many residents are in the room? How many are actually doing therapy? How long do residents "wait" for their therapy; how long do they just sit and sit and sit during the day, and during the pre-therapy sessions?

Ask your regular family doctor what kind of therapy or what kind of care that the patient needs. If you have discovered that you are in one of the horrible nursing homes, find your own doctor, and do not rely on their own doctors. II learned this too late; but you are now informed about what would be most helpful to you. Do not rely on "their " doctors but have your own if you are able to afford that.

Advertisements, fancy brochures, research and background and word of mouth reputation:

Know that word of mouth reputation is probably more important than advertising and brochures. You need to know which residents used to go there and how they liked the care that they received there. You need to hear that from impartial people, not from staff, personnel or doctors. Research . Go online and see if this place is on the list of the WORST nursing homes in the country. But, do not relax too soon. EVEN if this place is not on the list, that doesn't mean that it is not a bad place. All that means is that it is not on the list YET.

Advertisements: : When the advertisement looks as if it is describing a totally different facility, that might be false advertising , so be aware of these things. Does the advertisement say there is a pool, yet there is no pool? When you ask to see it are you told, "it is under construction" -- yet, the advertisement or brochure makes it "appear" as if the pool is there already and ready for use or in use already. Does the advertisement offer a solarium or private rooms, when there clearly are no solarium or private rooms available. Does the brochure offer MUCH but the facility offers little? These are warning signs. These are signs to look for.

So do your homework, your research and your observations before committing to enroll anyone in any physical rehabilitation center or in any nursing home.

Google the name of the nursing home or rehabilitation center. See what comes up.

Check with your consumer affairs agencies and with your Better Business Bureaus. Even though this is a nursing home, you still might be able to check with the Better Business Bureau to find out what kind of customer service policy they have or to find out if there are any previous complaints against this nursing home or physical rehabilitation center.

Look Around You:

See everything that you can see. If possible , visit the place more than once before you do any admissions of patients or relatives.

Listen to those around you. Yes, listen. As residents and patients and families pass you by in the hallways, listen to the conversations that they are having . You will be surprised at what you hear when you listen to other conversations in the hallways of the nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers.

See if you can get a tour of the upper floors in any facility. This is usually where they "hide" residents that they do not want the public to see. So, if you are visiting and evaluating a nursing home or a physical rehabilitation center, make sure to see the upper floors. You can find a staff person to give the tour.

By listening, you will get the most important information about the place that you will need. As you walk by someone who is walking in the hallways , you might "hear" that a resident was missing for a while, or that a resident walked out of the facility, or that a resident keeps trying to leave the nursing home or physical rehabilitation center. Listen carefully. You will learn about the facility, about the residents, doctors and everything related to staying in that facility.

You might go online and find some nursing home blogs that are not affiliated with the nursing homes (sometimes residents and patients can do some blogs in some nursing homes). You can join in there and do some observations, and perhaps, who knows, perhaps you can start a residents or patients group online.

Whatever you do, your key are these things:

• Listen.
  
  
  
  


• Hear.
  
  
  
  


• Observe.
  
  
  
  


• Note.
  
  
  
  


• Observe more and again.
  
  
  
  


• Listen more carefully.
  
  
  
  


• Connect.
  
  
  
  


• Stay connected.

Doing these things and making these your first priority when choosing a rehabilitation center or nursing home, will give you the best advantage and will give you good choices.So, this article has listed and explained some of the best things that you can do to make sure that your choice of nursing homes or rehabilitation centers are best. But also, this article and all the ideas inside this article are equally important AFTER you have made the choice and after you have already gone through the admission process. Always keep your ears and eyes open. You can't go wrong by doing that. Warning Signs:

There are some warning signs that you should be leery of if you happen to see them or experience them in any physical rehabilitation and care centers and nursing homes. These are some of the warning signs:

• Filth -- Is there dirty clothing all around on the floors or in the hallway? Are the floors sticky or dirty? Does the room or corridor smell or have nasty odors?
  
  
  
  


• Overcrowding -- Do you see wheelchair after wheelchair after wheelchair - waiting for long periods of time to get upstairs or downstairs on the elevators? Are the rooms overcrowded ? Is the rehab center or nursing home overcrowded? What do the fire regulations say?
  
  
  
  


• Noise Pollution -- Is there loud music playing all the time? (Is this a cover-up for the "noises" that the staff doesn't want you to hear)?
  
  
  
  


• Lost Clothing - Losing clothing is one thing, but are you in a facility that constantly loses most of your clothing? Are residents and patients in the long-term units constantly wearing other people's clothing? Are there residents or patients lying naked or half-naked in their beds due to lost clothing? These are huge red-flags for you to look for.
  
  
  
  


• Oppression - Do the residents seem frightened or scared? Are the residents afraid to complain about anything? Or when they do complain are they ignored as if they are invisible or are they punished for complaining? Are family members punished for complaining?
  
  
  
  


• Staff who is never "available" but they suggest that you "ask someone else" , then you are given the run-around. Huge red-flag here.
  
  
  
  


• Inadequate smoke alarms, and inadequate fire drill preparations and lack of emergency evacuation instructions.
  
  
  
  


• Mislabeling of important things in the facility. (This will be explained in another article).

Most places are not like these (listed above) but we still need to be aware so that we can distinguish the good from the bad. So keep your ears and eyes open , always and spread the word!

There are so many other ways to almost guarantee a pleasant stay at a nursing home or physical rehabilitation center, but this is just a beginning.

Update: Recently I have been able to visit a nursing home center that is a nice place for humans to stay. This nursing home is in Brooklyn, NY. The difference between this one and the other one is like night and day . It gives everyone hope knowing that there are some places where life goes on the way it should. There are some places that have professionals workers and that have enough so that each resident and patient are treated with respect, and good care.

When you visit nursing homes or rehab centers -to inspect them, make sure you see the long-term floors and the floors where people actually are living in . Listen to your inner instincts. If something is telling you that something is wrong; you are most likely correct and something is wrong. Do what is best and right for you.

The nursing home and care center that gave me nightmares (due to conditions and due to how residents are treated and taken care of) is in Staten Island, New York. I still have nightmares sometimes over what I saw inside of that nursing home. I hope that no one has to go there ever. If I had a pet that needed care, I would not send that pet to the home in Staten Island. The nightmares were relentless and they are finally letting up.

UPDATE: Sometimes it seems as if it is very hard to get out of a nursing home. It seems that way because it is that way. There is so much red tape and so much paperwork and pre-discharge items to handle. If you are in a nursing home and have no family and friends to visit you, you will find that the red tape is doubled and you will find yourself that you might feel like you are a prisoner in that home. Try and seek outside help. Write a letter to your assemblyman or congressman if you are feeling that you are being held against your will at any medical facility or rehabilitation and care center.

Updated May 04, 2008