While many people might like to be the ones taking care of their loved ones once they reach a certain age and no longer have the ability to care for their own needs, it’s not uncommon for those needs to quickly become more than you’re able to handle on your own. Especially if you don’t have any medical experience yourself, you may not be the best person to be caring for your loved one.
If you reach this point, you may need to start looking into long term care facilities that can better give your loved one the help and care that’s necessary. However, turning over the care of your loved one to strangers can be very scary. So to help ensure that you’re able to find the right place for your loved one to rest, here are three tips for picking a long term care facility.
Know Your Loved One’s Medical Needs
Before you can pick the right care facility for your loved one, you first need to know just how much medical care your loved one is in need of.
Different care facilities will have different levels of staff that can give residents assistance. According to Tim Parker, a contributor to The Balance, you’ll want to ensure that you pick a facility that has the right nursing or other staff members if that’s what your loved one needs. Additionally, you’ll want to know how often certain staff members will be on the premises to care for residents.
Keep Them Close
According to the National Association for Continence, the most ideal location for your loved one to be checked into a care facility is in a town that’s close to friends or relatives who can frequently visit and check in on them. So when you’re trying to find the right long term care facility for your loved one, try to find a place that’s close to you or others who will be there for your loved one and visit them as often as possible.
Be On The Lookout For Red Flags
As far as the actual facility that you put your loved one in, it’s important to be on the lookout for red flags both before and after your loved one checks in.
When visiting the care facility, Donna K. Woodward, a contributor to AgingCare.com, advises that you look at things like how well equipment is cared for, how the current residents are treated, if the rooms and linens are clean, how noisy the facility is, and more. If you see anything that seems amiss, make sure you address it with the staff or look for another facility for your loved one.
If you’re needing to place your loved one in a long term care facility, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find the right place for them.
Leave a Reply