Your Medicare Nursing Home Search
Doing a Medicare nursing home search? Here are some things to do for when choosing the right facility.
Search online
Conducting a Medicare nursing home search online is easy when you use Medicare.gov’s comparison tool. This tool lets you quickly compare nursing homes ratings for overall quality measures, staffing, health inspections and see any penalties that have been assessed. You can search by zip code or city and see side-by-side comparisons of nursing homes.
Go visit
Once you’ve completed your online Medicare nursing home search, it’s important to visit the facilities that top your list. While a nursing home may look great on paper, you need to tour the facility in person. Getting a first-hand account can help you narrow down your choice. When touring a facility, you will want to consider the following:
- Observe the surroundings
Are call lights being answered in a timely manner? Is the environment pleasant and warm? Do staff members know guests by name? Are guests well groomed? Do guests seem comfortable? Is there an odor?
- Ask questions
What type of activities are offered to guests? Has there been a recent change in ownership or leadership? Are temporary staffing agencies used? How often are guests assisted to the restroom? How often do they get a bath or shower? What’s the staffing ratio, especially at night?
- Get references
The facility should be able to provide you with references from families who’ve utilized the facility. Social workers and case managers at hospitals are another good resource for finding a quality nursing home. You might also seek out elder care advocacy groups or a state long-term care ombudsman who often spend time in nursing homes.
Find more tips for conducting a Medicare nursing home search here. And if you’d like to tour one of Sante’s high-quality facilities, please get in touch at 623-377-9698. Our facilities consistently receive high quality ratings and we have lots of happy, healthy guests to prove it.
