Resources to Ensure Good Nursing Home Care

Worried about a family member in a nursing home? Or, just worried that a nursing home is in the future for a family member and you’d like to take precautions to find the best one now?

Our communities offer assistance for nursing home residents and families concerned about quality care. If you have a concern, you can contact:

–A long-term care ombudsman. Each state has a long-term care ombudsman, an official who investigates nursing home complaints, mediates problems between family members and nursing homes, and acts as an advocate for nursing home residents. To find out about your state’s ombudsman program, contact your Department on Aging. Or, call the ElderCare Locator at 800-677-1116.

If you are researching nursing homes, contact:

–Nursing Home Compare. The federal agency that oversees Medicare has a web site that posts state inspection reports of all Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes. In addition, the site contains a guide on how to choose a nursing home and a printable checklist of key factors to keep in mind as you research nursing homes. The web site address is www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp.

–National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. This organization acts as an advocate for quality care in nursing homes. You can call 202-332-2275 to request publications on how to select a nursing home. Visit http://www.nccnhr.org/

–National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care. Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the site provides information and resources to help you and your family plan for future long-term care (LTC) needs. Go to http://www.longtermcare.gov/LTC/Main_Site/index.aspx

–The Alzheimer’s Association CareFinder™. The Alzheimer’s Association created an online guide to help individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families identify the right care options. The guide also helps you learn how to plan and pay for care, recognize good care, communicate with care providers and find local support. Visit http://www.alz.org/carefinder/index.asp

Related articles

• Make Nursing Homes More Like Home (nlm.nih.gov)
• Best Nursing Homes: The U.S. News Honor Roll (health.usnews.com)
• Step 2: Build a Short List of Nursing Home Possibilities (health.usnews.com)
• Debating the Nation’s Top Nursing (usnews.com)