6 Big Questions To Ask Newark NJ Nursing Homes Before Choosing It For A Loved One

By William Jackson


When a loved one can no longer care for himself on his own, there are practical and safety issues that have to be addressed. If there is no available family member to take the person in, finding a private facility that can provide a safe nurturing environment becomes necessary. To ensure you select the right facility, there are important questions to ask of Newark NJ nursing homes before making a final decision.

First and foremost, you need to ask if the facility is certified and accredited. Accreditation by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is what you are looking for. If there a Gold Seal of Approval displayed, it means the JCAHO has inspected the facility and approved its level of safety and quality.

Any facility that has Medicaid or Medicare certification will be on a list you can find online. You can look up facilities by geographical region or enter a specific facility name. The website lets you sort data using all kinds of criteria. There are star rankings indicating the results of inspections, recommended guest to staff ratios, and quality of care.

You need to know what the policies of the facilities are. You should be provided with some type of policies and procedures pamphlet. You might want to know if a resident is required to accept a roommate, and what the process for pairing guests is. If your loved currently has a pet, you will want to know if pets are allowed to live with residents. You need to know how the facility handles difficult patients.

Safety and security need to be on the top of your list of concerns. You need to know about smoke detectors, fire alarms, and how the staff handles evacuation in the case of fire. You might want to know if a facility owns backup generators. How the facility secures the belongings of guests is important. You could ask about safety deposit boxes. It's important to know whether or not there are round the clock security guards.

You need to ask about the activities that are available. If your family member is physically active, having a pool or tennis courts might be important. You need to know if there are special event rooms that can be used for birthday parties and holidays. A lot of activity directors arrange special outings for guests and have speakers, choral groups, and elementary school visitors in for the guests to interact with.

The cost is probably an important consideration. It won't matter what a home provides, if your loved one can't afford to live there. You should get a detailed fee schedule from the facility management. They are required by law to provide them. This will tell you what is covered in the monthly fee and what things are extra.

It's never easy to place a loved one in a nursing facility. When you have no other choice, you must make sure the facility you select has a safe and nurturing environment. That is certainly what you would want if you were the one entering the home.




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