Moving your mom or dad into a nursing home in Columbia may be the hardest decision you ever make. As much as we hate to admit it, there comes a point where we just can’t take care of our parents the way they need us to. Thankfully, there are plenty of great, reputable nursing homes in South Carolina. You can always call a seasoned Columbia nursing home abuse lawyer if you run into any issues. There are a few things they’ll tell you to look out for if you’re visiting a facility for the first time.
Look for Signs When Touring the Nursing Home in Columbia
Most people take a tour of a nursing home in Columbia before they make any final decisions. It’s one thing to read reviews online or get a report from the Ombudsman. It’s another thing entirely to visit the place and see for yourself what it looks like. You should never agree to move your loved one into a nursing home in Columbia until you’ve physically visited the facility, spoken to some of the residents and inquired of the staff. When you do take a tour, there are certain things you want to keep an eye out for. We’ll discuss a few of them here.
The Home Looks and Smells Fresh and Clean
Most nursing homes do their best to keep their buildings clean and free of any odor. Of course, one should expect that there will be typical hospital smells. You may notice the smell of a disinfectant. You may also get a medicinal odor as you walk the halls of the facility. Outside of that, there are a few things that should give you pause.
If you smell urine or feces at any point in your tour, it’s a problem. The home’s residents need to be kept clean. They need to be taken to the bathroom as needed and cleaned up properly. They should also be bathed on a regular basis. This way, they avoid looking disheveled and unkempt. They will also have a better chance of avoiding bedsores if they are kept clean.
The Residents Appear to Be Well Taken Care of
You always want to look at the residents both in the halls and in the activity areas. Do they look clean and properly dressed? Are they left alone to fend for themselves or is someone there to oversee their safety? You should also look to see how the staff interact with the residents. Do they talk to them and include then in whatever is going on around them? Notice how the staff interact with each other. Do they seem polite and friendly, or do they seem like they are counting down the minutes until their shift ends?
The Facility Offers Plenty of Social Activities for the Residents
Just because your loved one is moving into a nursing home in Columbia, that doesn’t mean their life is over. Many nursing homes offer all sorts of activities for their residents. They have bingo and movie nights. They should have dances and outings. Unless a resident is physically unable to participate, they should have the chance to be entertained.
The Staff Are More Than Willing to Talk to You
When Columbia nursing home abuse lawyers ask their clients how the staff reacted to them, they seem confused. Most people even think to talk to the staff when they tour a nursing home in Columbia. This could be the best way to see what the facility’s philosophy is. If the staff seem compassionate, friendly, and caring, they will likely act the same way toward your mom or dad. If they’re dismissive or rude, you may want to think twice about selecting that nursing home.
The Staff to Resident Ratio is Low
Ideally, the staff to resident ratio will be low at any nursing home in Columbia. Otherwise, there is too much of a risk that a patient could be neglected. It may not be possible to glean this information on your own. There’s nothing wrong with asking the admissions officer for this information. They should be more than willing to provide the ratio as it is a selling point for most quality facilities.
Ask a Columbia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for Help
If you fear your loved one isn’t being cared for properly, you need to call an experienced Columbia nursing home abuse lawyer. They should have an idea of which nursing homes are reputable and which ones you may not trust. Your loved one deserves the best care possible at their nursing home in Columbia. If you don’t feel they’re getting the care they deserve, call our office and schedule your free, initial consultation.