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Choosing a long-term care facility for yourself or a loved one is confusing and stressful. But, taking some time now to learning about the various options and what to look for in a home or a facility can take away some of the doubt in this frustrating process.

There are a lot things that go into choosing the right nursing home, like what kind of care is needed, how it will be paid for, and what makes a nursing home a "good home?"

Factors to Consider

There are many types of long-term care. What's appropriate for you or your loved one will depend on the answers to various questions, like:

• Can the person needing care walk unassisted, and feed him or herself?
• Is medical supervision necessary 24/7?
• Is special assistance, such as physical therapy or help for someone afflicted by Alzheimer's, needed?
• What resources–such as Medicaid, Medicare and long-term care insurance–are available to pay for the care?

Types of Facilities

There's a big range of care available to residents of long-term care facilities. From least restrictive to most restrictive, they include:

• Independent living residences, with separate living quarters and no special living or medical assistance
• Assisted living facilities, with small private living quarters, some help with daily tasks such as eating and dressing, and monitoring of health needs when needed
• Nursing home or rest home facilities, which offer 24/7 assistance with daily living tasks and fulltime health monitoring, but usually no extensive medical care
• Intermediate care facilities or skilled nursing care facilities, with intensive medical care for the chronically and seriously ill
• Extended care facilities, which are usually hospital-affiliated and offer short-term care for seriously ill patients

Resources for Long-Term Care Facility Referrals

There are many people who can give you ideas on which long-term care facilities to consider, including:

• Your family physician, or the doctor for the person who needs the long-term care
• Hospital discharge planners, social workers and home healthcare nurses
• Friends and neighbors who have been through similar experiences
• Government agencies such as the federal Area Agencies on Aging

Tour It

When you have your choices narrowed down, it's best to tour the facilities during business hours without an appointment. You can meet with the staff, see everything, and take a meal if there are dining facilities. It's best to go back for a second look in the evening or on a weekend, to see if there are differences in staffing at "off" hours.

Here are few things to think about when touring a nursing home or other care facility:

• How long did you have to wait to see a staff member?
• Does the facility look and smell clean?

And, don't be afraid to ask the staff questions, like:

• Who responds to emergency calls for help and how soon?
• What is the ratio of staff care providers to residents?
• What is the cost of care? Are there additional charges for "extra" services?

If you carefully consider and investigate these options and your particular circumstances, you can make finding the right nursing home or long-term care facility an easier process for you and your family.

Questions for Your Attorney

• How do I find out about Medicare or Medicaid assistance for my loved one's long-term care a nursing home?
• I'm 55 years old. Should I buy long-term care insurance now?
• My mother needs a nursing home immediately, and we don't have enough time to find and investigate every single home in our area. Is there anyway we can make the hospital keep my mother for a few days while I find her a place to live?

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