It can be excruciatingly difficult to watch your mother succumb to the physical and/or mental deterioration that comes with the natural aging process. Deciding that your mother can no longer safely care for herself is even more difficult. On the other hand, leaving your mother home alone could result in serious injury. Realizing that should make the decision to move her to a nursing home a little bit easier to accept. Once you have made that decision, finding the right facility becomes your priority. To help get you started, a Woburn area elder law attorney at DeBruyckere Law Offices helps you find the right nursing home.
Worrying about Elder Abuse
The older population in the United States has grown at a historic rate over the last several decades and is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. The growth in the elder population has caused the issue of elder abuse to also rise to the forefront of the American conscience. For anyone who has a loved one in a nursing home, the fear that their loved one could become the victim of abuse is a very real – and valid – concern. As many as five million elders are the victim of elder abuse each year, meaning that one in 10 elders over the age of 60 have been abused. Sadly, only about one in 14 incidents of elder abuse are formally reported.
Tips for Picking the Right Nursing Home
The elder abuse statistics are frightening; however, not all long-term care facilities allow abuse to occur. On the contrary, many nursing homes provide competent and compassionate care to the residents. The key to finding one of those facilities is to do your research and ask the right questions when you are choosing a facility. Examples of questions to ask include:
- What is your staff to patient ratio?
- If there a medical doctor on call 24/7?
- What is your procedure if a resident has an abuse or neglect complaint?
- What type of background investigation do you do on new hires?
- What is your staff turnover rate?
- Have you ever been disciplined or fined for a violation of state or federal laws or regulations?
- What social programs and/or activities are available for residents?
- Can I visit my parent anytime I want?
- Do residents have options for meals or is there a set menu for each meal?
- Do you offer transportation services?
In addition to asking questions, take the time to do your own research into facilities in your area. A good place to begin that research is with the Mass.gov website, the official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where you will find a list of licensed nursing homes. Another excellent source of information is the official Medicare.gov website where you will find the Nursing Home Compare tool, a searchable database full of information on nursing homes across the country. When you are considering a nursing home, try and interview current employees and residents if possible. Along with making an official visit to the facility, show up unannounced as well to see how the facility runs when they are not expecting potential clients. Above all else, trust your gut instinct. If your instincts are telling you that something doesn’t feel right at the facility, it probably isn’t right. On the other hand, if you get a positive and comforting feeling at the nursing home, pay attention to that feeling as well.
Contact a Woburn Elder Law Attorney
For more information, please download our FREE estate planning worksheet. If you have additional questions or concerns about estate planning, contact our estate planning attorneys in our North Andover, Woburn, and Beverly offices at (978) 969-0331. Our Londonderry and Nashua, New Hampshire office can be reached at (603) 894-4141.
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