By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-28 04:48:52 | Word Count: 664
Nursing homes in NJ are not in short supply. In fact, there are a huge number of facilities to choose from across the state. So how can you know where to begin? Especially since selecting a nursing home facility is such an emotional process, how can you make an educated, rational decision on such a sensitive subject?
Start out by going to www.GeriCareFinder.com. There you will be able to search their award winning and vast database to find the perfect home for your loved one. You can break their database down by region, state, and specific facilities and what they have to offer. You can even do a short survey to help identify exactly how much care your loved one needs and which type of facility would be right for your family. They also have a calculator that will help give you an idea of what to expect financially from each facility. Additionally you can create a workspace to save your research and share it with other family members, so that everyone can make an informed decision.
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So, once you’ve found a few potential facilities, keep some things in mind. What is the nursing home’s proximity to other loved ones? Is it close enough that you and other friends and family members would be able to visit often? Making frequent visits is vital to the patient’s mental health. Moving into a nursing home can be very depressing, as it is a major loss of independence. So it’s important that the facility you select is close enough that it’s convenient for you, and others, to stop by often.
Then, check how the facility is rated. Is it getting good reviews, or are people complaining about it? GeriCareFinder.com has a specific section for reviews that you can read over. If the facility has complaints, did they do anything about it? If so, how was it handled? In other words, was it resolved to the satisfaction of both parties? If not, you may want to move on to another nursing home, especially if there is more than one complaint.
Once it’s time to visit the facility, observe the surroundings. How is the staff? Do they seem happy at their jobs? Do they act friendly and caring towards the residents? Or, are they rushed and curt? How’s the food? Is it appetizing? How are the residents? Do they seem content and happy, or is the overall morale a bit low? These are all major indications of what day to day life would be like for your loved one. If the residents don’t seem happy, or the staff isn’t friendly, or the food looks gross it’s unlikely that your family member would be able to thrive.
After you make a decision and move your family member to the chosen nursing home, make sure to do everything you can to ease the transition. As stated before, visit and call often. Allow the person to grieve the loss of their independence, but don’t let them wallow either. Don’t minimize the life change, but don’t focus too much. You should work towards making it as positive of an experience as possible.
GeriCareFinder.com can help make the process of sifting through the many nursing homes in NJ a bit easier. Visit their website today to find the perfect home for your loved one.
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