These resources may prove helpful in your search for a good nursing home:
- Medicare appeal – Under Medicare, you have the right to appeal a loved one’s discharge from a hospital. This extends the hospital stay for two additional days, and you can use that time to research nursing homes.
- Eldercare Locator – The names and locations of nursing homes in your area
- Form 2567 – The results of unannounced state nursing home inspections are compiled on a Form 2657 report.
- Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program – State and local nursing homes are monitored by the ombudsman
- Nursing Home Compare – The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services website has completed surveys for nursing homes throughout the nation. Your local health department is also a good source for this information.
- Unannounced visits –Visiting the nursing homes at different times of day gives you a much better picture of daily activities and whether the facility is fully staffed. Indiana provides statewide nursing home report cards to help you narrow your search
- Nursing home administrator – Medicare provides a nursing home checklist, and speaking with the administrator can give you a better feel for the prevailing attitude.
- Medicaid – Ask for a copy of the nursing home’s payment policy (in writing) specific to the eventual running-out of Medicare reimbursements or private funds, and whether Medicaid payments are accepted.
- Pay attention to details – When visiting your loved one in a nursing home, take time to taste the food and assess the staff and activities – especially making sure patient bathroom needs are being met. Report any concerns to the Indiana Attorney General’s Patient Abuse and Neglect program.
Please contact a licensed attorney if you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home.
