Your Guide to Selecting a Nursing Facility

Step #1        DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT

What does your love one want and need?

• A location close to your home
• An Alzheimer’s special care unit
• A locked unit
• Rehabilitation/Therapies
• Respite care

Step #2        FIND THE FACILITIES

Identify the facilities in the area.  Four names and phone numbers of the facilities, try:

• Yellow Pages
• Area Agency on Aging
• Division of Aging
• Ombudsman
• Alzheimer’s  Association
• Your Family doctor

Step #3        GATHER BROCHURES

If you are not in immediate need for placement, call the nursing facilities and ask for a brochure or information packet to be sent to you. Make sure that an activity calendar and a sample menu are included.

Step #4        TOUR THE FACILITIES

Tour the facilities in which you are interested.

• Arrive unexpectedly for a tour
• Tour twice….during the week and on the weekend
• Go during a meal time

Step #5        KNOW WHAT TO ASK AND LOOK FOR

• Did you feel welcome?
• Where you made to wait?
• Did someone spend time finding out what you want and need?
• Was the staff friendly and interacting with the residents?
• Was the staff friendly and appropriate in their interactions with each other?
• Was the facility clean pleasant and odor free?

(There may be sporadic odors throughout the facility, but there should never be a pervasive odor throughout the entire building)