Selecting a long-term care facility is a highly personal decision for each family. You want a facility that is affordable enough to be reasonable on your current budget, and one that is close enough to loved ones to make it easy to drop in and visit. Choosing the right facility for your loved one, however, is a big step--and you want to be sure that you're carefully evaluating the available options in order to make the right choice. 

What is a Long-Term Care Facility?

A long-term care facility is a facility where aging individuals can receive the care and support they need to live happy, productive lives for as long as possible. These facilities are designed to provide both medical and personal services to individuals who are no longer able to live independently within the community. Often, they are chosen by families who are no longer able to provide the level of care that an aging loved one needs on their own. 

Checking for Quality in a Long-Term Care Facility

When it's necessary for your loved one to go into a long-term care facility, quality is one of the most crucial factors! You don't have to sacrifice quality to find a facility that accepts your insurance and fits within your budget. There are several steps that can help you evaluate the quality of your care facility and determine whether it's the best place for your loved one.

Plan a visit. Set up a time to come in and take a tour. Go through the halls and really look at the facility to ensure that it will be a comfortable place for your loved one to live.

Talk with the residents. Take the time to sit down and chat with a few residents who have been at the facility for a while. Listen to what they have to say about their time there. They'll often be more honest than the nurses and other care providers at the facility.

Ask the right questions. What you need from a long-term care facility will be different from what other individuals need. Make sure you're asking the right questions for you. Does the facility meet your family member's emotional, physical, mental, and financial needs? 

Meet the staff. Take the time to get to know some of the members of the staff. Chat with them. Are they friendly? Do they have personalities that will fit with your loved one? It's also important to evaluate how high turnover is within the staff: a staff that changes regularly can be disorienting for your loved one, not to mention indicative of poor working conditions and therefore lower-quality care for your loved one.

The Services You Need

Before choosing a long-term care facility, it's important to make sure that the facility you're considering will provide all the services that your loved one needs. These might include:

• Physical therapy sessions, both for continued physical capability and to help recover from injury.
• Speech therapy, which may be necessary after a stroke or other problem. 
• Nutrition monitoring and management to help ensure that your loved one is eating properly and receiving a diet that will help keep them healthy.
• Activities and social programs that will encourage your loved one to be active and engaged with the facility.

If you're ready to move your loved one to a long-term care facility, contact us. We provide high-level care and a range of services that will help ensure that your loved one is able to receive the care they need to continue a healthy, productive life for as long as possible. At our facility, your loved one will receive high-quality care that will help ensure their well-being when you are no longer able to provide that level of care at home.