There have been a number of studies over the years that seek to determine which type of nursing homes tend to provide a higher level of quality care. In most of these studies, researchers find that, when compared to commercial homes, nonprofits as a group provide better care for their patients. There are a number of possible reasons for this disparity, and one of them has to do with the happiness of the nursing home staffers. In a New York Times blog posted this week, contributor Paula Span...  

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There are no two ways about it: the thought of moving into an assisted living or skilled nursing facility is something that many older adults begin to dread as they age. The reasons for this are perfectly rational: none of us want to leave the home we've worked to build for most of our lives; none of us want to feel like we're losing our independence. But how much of those fears are based upon a negative stigma? How much of that stigma is actually true of the assisted living experience that i...  

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When the time comes to start considering moving a loved one or a family member into a skilled nursing facility, many questions and concerns come to mind. Is my loved one going to be well taken care of? Will they be happy? Are they still going to socialize with people their age? The list of questions goes on and on, but the most important ones are often the most overlooked. While some of the inquiries can be answered by the staff, other questions need to be answered by simply observing what h...  

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The new buzz in nursing homes and community-based residential settings is all about striving to create a "person-centered" setting. What exactly does that mean? Literature refers to the process as moving away from institutational or traditional care to individualized person-directed practices that embrace choice and autonomy. It's a great concept, but where do we start? Person-centered care means more than sprucing up the environment to be more home like, enhancing the dining experience, or ...  

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Many children of older adults have heard their parents implore them to: "Please never put me in a nursing home!" Unfortunately, some of us find ourselves faced with a difficult decision when our parents become debilitated by disease or compromised with memory impairment issues. Today there are congregate settings, assisted living and supportive living programs in particular, that offer alternatives to the nursing home. However, while aesthetically more pleasing than most nursing homes, these...  

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Think this situation never happens? In today's mixed up world of hospital reimbursement, you'd be surprised how often it does. Here are some tips for when it happens to you: You'll likely get advice and options from the doctor and hospital discharge planner, but always try to visit the facility before deciding on a placement. There are many online resources that offer ratings, like Nursing Home Compare, which is compiled by Medicare. However, this rating system evaluates mostly paper compl...  

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