Today would have been my mother's 91st birthday, BTW!  Dallas
& I did a lot of work researching various types of ElderCare on behalf
of my parents... both of whom spent their last years in what are now
euphemistically referred to as "Residential Homes", perhaps
partly because my father wasn't alone in asking why this hospital (unlike
acute care hospitals) charged for room & board... and we've also
performed in concerts at numerous other facilities.  I think we know
whereof we speak.  But although such matters are becoming increasingly
relevant to many people of our age they don't necessarily discuss them with
Dallas & me.

          Anyway, I just read another magazine article about "nursing
homes" in hope of finding some material which might be helpful to
other folks here... and as usual, I felt most readers probably wouldn't be
any the wiser if they had no prior knowledge of the subject & they
wanted guidance in making a selection.  I did see a comment, however, which
is well worth reiterating.  The author quotes a doctor specializing in
geriatric medicine as saying "Don't look at the place, look at the
people."  That is basically what we did.  And although the idea was
not expanded on I think it deserves to be, as I've done below....  :-)


 1)  Look at the individual you're seeking a placement for

          Younger people may consider a forty-year-old building
"outmoded", for
 example, but if Granny is moving there from a house which is seventy or eighty
 years old that may not trouble her.  She may also appreciate the more generous
 storage space inside & the large trees (which incidentally provide shelter for
 birds, squirrels, etc.) outside the older buildings.  If you're making choices
 on Granny's behalf, remember that her preferences may be different from yours.


 2)  Look at the staff

          Do the staff come across to you as friendly & approachable?  Are they
 content with their jobs, or is there a lot of turnover?  Do they speak English
 (or whatever other language is most relevant) well enough to understand and be
 understood, or are they likely to have difficulty communicating with residents
 whose hearing and/or mental faculties aren't quite as sharp as they once were?
 Do they address the residents by name regardless of where they encounter them?


 3)  Look at the people who live and/or who have lived there

          Do the residents generally seem to be cheerful & active, and
are they engaged in a variety of pursuits?  Are you allowed to chat with
them... or does your tour guide seem to be overly scrupulous about not
disturbing them & hustle you off to inspect a series of vacant rooms? 
Is there traffic in the hallways, and are other common areas such as the
lounge & dining room often used by folks who are visiting with
relatives & friends or engaged in a project of some sort? Do you know
anybody who has used the facility recently, and how they feel about it? 
Either way it's very informative to talk to the current residents....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+