We have many clients (and friends) who ask, “what it the one thing I should look for in finding a good nursing home to care for a family member?”
The answer is simple. It is not a pretty building…nor well-manicured lawns and flower gardens. It is not a piano in the foyer or a fancy cafeteria/dining room.
The answer is well-trained, well-staffed, and contented nurses. Working as a nurse or aide in a nursing home is tough, back-breaking work! On top of being a tough job…these front line care givers are woefully underpaid. All of the profits go to the “fat cats” who own and run the facilities. As a result of the hard work and low pay, the turnover rate for nursing homes is staggering….sometimes approaching 70 percent turnover every year!
So if you are looking for a good nursing home for your parent or spouse, talk with the nurses and aides and find out how long they have worked at the facility and if they have enough help to properly care for the residents.
Take a look at this interesting article from the New York Times which reinforces this very important issue.