Questions to Ask Nursing Home Staff

Moving an elderly loved one into a nursing home is often more complicated than you expect. There are many things you must think about in terms of the level of care your loved one needs.

Besides, in making that decision, you want to be absolutely certain that your parent or loved one will be safe and will receive the best possible care.

With so many factors to consider – from the type of care, nursing home certifications, bed availability and more, it’s hard to know which questions to ask. We’ve compiled a list of the top questions to ask nursing home representatives and staff before moving a loved one in.

At the Law Firm of Scott D. DeSalvo, we are professional Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys. We share your concern for the safety and well-being of your loved ones and we want to help you make that crucial decision.

When considering nursing homes, we suggest you ask the following questions before making a final decision. These questions will help you avoid low-quality nursing homes where residents are forced to find a nursing home lawyer in Chicago to finally make things right.

What level of certification do you have?

This is a question you can ask about the nursing home itself as well as the staff. Nursing home administrators must be licensed in their state and, while not required, the good ones have additional professional certifications.

What types of care programs do you provide?

It’s a common mistake to assume that all nursing homes are the same. Each resident has unique needs and depending on your loved one’s needs, even an otherwise great nursing home may not be a good fit.

Are there beds available?

A simple question that shouldn’t be overlooked. Proper levels of staff ensure your loved one gets the individual attention and care they need and deserve.

Are your visiting hours flexible?

Some nursing homes have strict schedules for visitation. Depending on your situation, visiting during the usual hours may be inconvenient. Make sure it’s easy to visit your loved ones when you want to.

May I see a menu?

Finding out what kinds of food are available at the nursing home is important. Especially if you have religious preferences that require certain types of food be made available.

Other Questions To Ask

• Has the facility’s license ever been revoked?
• Does the facility do background checks on all staff members?
• What is the patient to staff ratio and how many nurses are on duty at each shift?
• Are the nurses RNs or LPNs?
• Do you have a medical director who visits the facility regularly? It’s important that the facility has regular contact with a medical director.
• Do you have an activity director? If yes, that shows that they try to keep residents occupied and not alone and isolated.
• Do you have a social director who will meet individually with your loved one, get to know them and help them adjust to the facility?
• Do you have a certified nutritionist on staff? This is important if your loved one has special dietary needs.
• Do you provide pharmaceutical services or must the family meet those needs?
• Are X-ray services available at the facility? This is important if your loved one needs X-rays on a regular basis.
• What is the rapid response time in case of an emergency that requires transportation to a hospital?
• What administrator is available on weekends to deal with questions and concerns?
• Do you have an active family council where relatives of residents can meet with an administrator to discuss questions and concerns?
• Does the staff have special training to deal with dementia?
• Is there a special unit to deal with special needs such as Alzheimer’s disease?

We believe that if you get satisfactory answers to these questions, you can be relatively assured your loved one will be safe and treated with dignity and respect.

Hopefully, these questions will help streamline the process so you can easily find the best quality nursing home care for your loved ones. Sometimes things go poorly though and when they get really bad, it’s time to call up a nursing home lawyer in Chicago.

As Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys, we want to help you in any way that we can. Email or call us at 888-HURT-318 (888-487-8318) and give us an opportunity to assist you with your nursing home needs and concerns.

Contact the Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo to receive the support you need.