Choosing a Nursing Home in Illinois
Deciding to place a loved one in a nursing home can be very difficult, emotionally. But once you’ve made that hard decision, a different sort of difficult choice awaits you: Which facility is right for your family? As a Chicago nursing home neglect lawyer, I know your choice affects your loved one’s everyday life, so it’s very important. If you have never had to think about this before, the sheer amount of information out there can be overwhelming.
Luckily, the Illinois and federal governments both offer a wealth of information to families struggling with this decision. If you need help right away, you can get in touch with local agencies whose job it is to help families through this stressful time. If your family is already involved with a social services agency like the county Public Aid office, it can usually point you in the right direction; social workers on staff at hospitals can also help. If those aren’t options, you can contact your local Agency on Aging in Illinois, which will give you a list of homes in your area, as well as the name of the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a person whose job it is to ensure that you know your rights, as well as investigate any of your complaints. This person can’t recommend a particular facility, but he or she can answer questions and guide you in your search.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the federal Department of Health and Human Services (PDF) both publish lengthy guidebooks for people who are choosing a nursing home. The state DPH also allows you to search for long-term care facilities by ZIP code, city or county, and maintains separate pages listing homes with no problems at last inspection and quarterly reports on homes with violations. When choosing a home, clearly, the first thing to look for is whether it meets the needs of the person who will live there. Experts also recommend that you choose one close to your home, because staff is likely to take better care of residents with regular visitors.
Once you’ve made a list of homes, experts always recommend that you visit it, preferably several times. Some even suggest that you drop in without calling ahead, so staffers won’t make any special preparations. Once you’re there, check out everything, including the kitchen and the bathrooms. (Don’t be shy -- this is your right as a customer, as well as the resident’s right as a human being.) Homes generally invite visitors to have a meal with the residents. They should also be able to show you a certification from the state on request. In general, watch for signs that residents are comfortable, respected and feel at home. If there are consistent problems with cleanliness, many residents in restraints or a lack of basics like access to drinking water, beware.
A nursing home is a long-term home; residents and their loved ones have a right to ensure that it treats them with dignity. If your family has a complaint about serious abuse or neglect at a nursing home, please contact our firm, Abels & Annes, as soon as possible for a free consultation.
