Cartoons: Roz Chast
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Resources for More Info about Picking a Nursing Home
By Dimitra Kessenides
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The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), 202-783-2242, provides definitions of various types of facilities and tips on how to choose an appropriate home for your parent. The site has a comprehensive state-by-state list of more than 5,600 national assisted-living and nursing homes, continuing-care retirement communities, senior housing facilities and community-based service organizations.
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), 202-842-4444, represents—along with its parent organization, the American Health Care Association—a group of 12,000 non-and for-profit long-term-care providers, including assisted-living residences and nursing homes. The site gives advice on preparing for family transitions and explains the costs Medicare and Medicaid will or will not cover. It also rates the top 30 assisted-living chains.
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), 703-691-8100, offers a database of 6,000 residences in 40 states, as well as a consumer checklist and articles from Assisted Living Today magazine.
When Someone You Love Needs Nursing Home Care: The Complete Guide, by Robert F. Bornstein and Mary A. Languirand, is an indispensable book, especially in a crisis when decisions need to be made quickly. It presents all the relevant questions and points you to the necessary resources for determining which facility best suits your parent's needs and preferences.
The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, 202-332-2275, has a listing of all the state ombudsman programs. These programs address complaints on nursing-home care and advocate for improvements. Once you get to your local ombudsman, you can see how the facilities in your area rate and the level of care they provide. The site is easy to use—just click on your state to be linked to the local ombudsman's office.
The Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) "Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home," at www.pueblo.gsa.gov (search for "nursing home"), walks you through the process. It lists phone numbers of other agencies that work with HCFA on nursing-home matters. Take the checklist provided to each facility you visit.
The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR), 202-332-2275, an advocacy group, focuses on the issue of quality long-term care and how to improve services nationally. In addition to advice on queries and finances, its site provides relevant information regarding abuse and neglect of nursing-home residents, their rights and how to resolve problems with a nursing home.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 410-786-3000, has compiled a Nursing Home Compare tool to help you locate and evaluate every Medicare-and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. It also includes a "Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home" and information on financial options and the rights of residents.
AARP Online Learning features highly informative, free online seminars relating to many aspects of caregiving: "Planning for the Care of Aging Parents," "Options and Strategies for the Care of Your Aging Parents," "Caring for Aging Parents: Managing the Details" and "Navigating Your Way to a Quality Assisted Living Facility."
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