Moving your loved one into a nursing home can be a trying, tough situation. With the right research, communication, and enthusiasm, however, you can make their transition feel incredibly smooth. After all, you want them to feel secure in this new journey, so you need to do your best to find a nursing home that will meet their needs as efficiently as possible. To assist you on this critical journey, here are seven qualities to look for when selecting an Illinois nursing home for your loved one:
24/7 Nursing Staff Access
More importantly than any other quality, a nursing home must have 24/7 quality nursing staff access for every one of its residents. Many residents end up in nursing homes due to the need for around-the-clock care, so any nursing home that fails to provide this should not be considered. Thankfully, many Illinois nursing homes are seeing increased funding in recent years, making it highly unlikely that you’d come across a nursing home that does not provide this must-have feature.
Quality Lifestyle Amenities
When your loved one first moves into a nursing home, they might have a hard time adjusting to their new life. Quality lifestyle amenities will help them through this sometimes-tough transition, as it will give them the ability to develop new hobbies and pastimes within their new living space. Additionally, amenities provide a great way for your loved ones to connect with fellow residents, and these relationships will prove invaluable to them as they adjust to their new living situation.
A Clean, Attractive Facility
To keep your loved one happy, healthy, and safe, it’s key that any home you transition them into is as clean and attractive as humanly possible. Not only are cleaner nursing homes safer, protecting residents from infection and fall hazards, but clean environments are fantastic for their mental health as well. Understanding how to ask the staff at potential nursing home choices about their cleaning routines can be incredibly helpful during your journey to find the perfect home for your elderly loved one. If an unclean facility leads to your loved one being harmed, you should find a nursing home attorney in Illinois that can help them navigate the tricky legal situation in a compassionate, knowledgable fashion.
A Solid Online Reputation
Knowing that the nursing home that you’re considering is not only impressive in person but that it’s well-respected online is of utmost importance. Even if a home seems stellar during your visits, there may be scandals or issues with the home that you’d never know about if you did not look up its online reputation. Be sure to have solid judgment about what criticisms you find online are legitimate, however, as there is always the possibility of trolls or bad-faith actors casting doubt on a nursing home’s quality.
Flexible, Reasonable Visiting Hours
When your elderly loved one is getting used to their new living situation, it will be incredibly useful for you to visit as often as possible. Not only will this help your loved ones, but it will help you feel more at ease about their safety and happiness as well. For this reason, you should always make sure that the available visiting hours at a nursing home that you’re considering are both reasonable and that they fit your family’s schedule. Doing so can help you feel more secure about your choice in the long run.
Comfortable Outdoor Spaces
Your elderly loved one will benefit greatly from getting some quality fresh air now and then. Make sure that any nursing home that you’re considering has not only safe but comfortable and beautiful outdoor spaces for them to enjoy when the weather (and their health) permits. The often breathtaking outdoor views Illinois has to offer, this quality is especially sought after by residents who are transitioning into nursing homes within the state.
Varied Diet Options
One of the key ways to stay healthy as an elderly person is to eat a healthy, balanced, and varied diet. With this in mind, you should be ensuring that any nursing home that you’re considering for your loved one has dietary options that will fulfill these three needs. To be extra careful and considerate, make sure to show your loved one the potential dietary offerings of a home to ensure they feel comfortable with the choices as well.
Seek Out Community Activities for Your Loved One
Alongside amenities, seeking out a nursing home that has plenty of fantastic community activities and events for its residents is highly recommended. Not only will this help your loved one transition into their new home more effectively, but it will help you feel assured that they’ll make valuable new friends in the nursing home in a quick fashion.
