18 Questions You Should Be Asking A Nursing Home

How do you know whether a nursing home is right for a loved one?  The Pioneer Network, a non-profit organization, offers 18 questions to ask when evaluating a nursing home for a loved one (and a separate list of 16 questions to ask when evaluating an assisted living facility).  The Pioneer Network is made up of professionals working in long-term care, long-term care facility residents and family members who advocate for them.

The Pioneer Network, active in 36 states, is part of a growing broad-based movement in long-term care that is sometimes called “culture change.” Culture change is a movement away from generic, system-based care and toward more individual, person-centered/directed care. Under culture change, residents have a meaningful voice in the care they get and have as many of the freedoms they had in their earlier homes as possible.

You can find out if a nursing home is part of the culture change movement by asking specific questions (and the answers you should get) when you visit for a tour, including:

  • Is your nursing home involved in culture change?
  • Will my loved one be able to choose when they are awakened in the morning?
  • What is your policy regarding food choices and alternatives?
  • What types of activities are offered to residents?
  • What is the turnover rate for the direct care staff here?

Please go to this page at the Pioneer Network’s website to read the entire list of questions (with answers to listen for) to ask when assessing a nursing home or an assisted living facility for a loved one. The lists are available for download, too.