Choosing a Long-Term Care Facility

Long-Term Care Facility (places where elderly persons live outside the home for care) Make sure you visit several facilites in your area. Pay attention to what you see, hear and smell. Visit each facility at different times of the day before making your final decision so you can see the meals served, the times the residents get up, and the activities provided. Remember, you are selecting a home, and it should look and feel like one. You can find some facilities with residents or staff who can speak the elderly person’s language and understand his/her culture. Try to find facilities that offer food and activities from your culture. Explain to the facility your elder’s physical and mental condition and any special needs.

Care of Residents
• Is the facility pleasant to look at and do the residents look well cared for?
• Does the physical condition of the residents reflect good hygiene and adequate basic care?
• Are the residents in wheelchairs made comfortable?
• Are call bells placed within patients’ reach? Are call bells responded to promptly?
• Do the residents have the opportunity for daily exercise and for walking with assistance if needed?
Meals
• Are the meals tasty and large enough? Are familiar foods served from your culture? Are the patients brought together to dine (as opposed to eating alone in rooms or in halls)?
Activities
• Are there a variety of activities of different cultures that meet patients’ needs? Is there an effort to include as many patients as possible in activities, which are meaningful to them?
Staffing
• Are the residents spoken to with respect by the aides and nurses? Are the residents treated with dignity and not like children?
• Have staff worked at the facility for many years?
• Do the staff or residents speak and understand the language and culture of the elderly person?
Finances
• What types of payments does the facility accept? (private insurance, Medicare, Medi-cal)
• Personal Space and Special Requests
• Can you bring pictures of your family? Can you decorate the walls? Do you have enough space to keep your personal items?
• Do residents have privacy when receiving care?
• Does the facility provide special services such as help with specific physical or mental challenges, physical therapy, special diets and anything else your family member might need or want?

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