Published Articles
Choosing a Nursing Home
The following article was written by Mr. Gelber and appeared in Western New York-area newspapers.
As your parents age you are often confronted with the need to seek long term care for one or both of them in a facility outside the home. Although this decision is sometimes difficult, you can play an active part in your parent’s quality of life by carefully selecting the best facility for him or her and visiting frequently to make sure he or she is being cared for properly.
In order to make an educated assessment for a loved one about which facility to choose, we recommend the following actions:
- Tour the facilities at odd times, such as during dinner, nights and off-hours on weekends, and take note of: odors, pleasant and offensive, residents’ dress and grooming, staff responsiveness, patients’ rooms, activity rooms, kitchen, dining and bathing areas, safety features, hand rails and grab bars, any restrained residents and overall activity levels;
- Talk to residents and family members;
- Talk to all staffing levels from administration to pastoral care, as well as volunteers, as to their length of service, qualifications and assignments;
- Learn the availability of doctors and the number of staff members on each shift; and
- Look at the patient’s rights information and the facility’s current state operating license.
Once your loved one moves in to an assisted care facility, your real job begins. You must visit him or her frequently and insist on good care.
If, however, despite your best efforts, your parent or family member has been neglected, abused or otherwise injured in such a facility, you must take a strong stand. Contact an attorney if you have any difficulty dealing with the facility or if your loved one is injured in any way so that his or her rights can be protected.
At the personal injury Law Firm of Herschel Gelber, LLC, we are dedicated to client advocacy and are prepared to take on the challenges you may face at a nursing home or other facility so that you can spend your time with your loved ones.
Call us for a free consultation at 633-5050. Our office is located at 6512 Main Street, Williamsville.
