Tips on Selecting a Quality Nursing Home

For many families, selecting a nursing home for a loved one can be a difficult task. Placement may be of an immediate nature. Decisions have to be made quickly. Who should I ask? What comprises a quality facility?

In New Jersey, the Department of Health and Senior Services has developed a simple, easy-to-use method for what amounts to comparison shopping. Scores are given to nursing homes based on the results of previous on-site State inspections which parallel strict Federal guidelines. Among the areas reviewed are record keeping and other administrative functions, nursing staff and care, resident rights, food and nutrition, and the physical environment.

Among New Jersey's nursing homes, Camden County Health Services Center consistently receives high marks.

The Center offers these suggestions in choosing a quality nursing home:

• personally visit two or three facilities and see which one has the best chemistry among you, your loved one, and the staff
• be primarily concerned with care
• check for odors and cleanliness of resident rooms and social areas
• observe to see if residents are neatly dressed
• try to sense interactions between staff members and residents
• review social activities and therapies offered to residents
• if possible, visit a prospective facility at meal times and see if the food appears to be appetizing and nutritious
• find out the staff-to-resident ratio (at the Center, this ratio exceeds State-mandated requirements)
• consult your personal physician or the County Office on Aging for recommendations

For further information and an on-site tour,
contact Vivian Walsh, Director of Admissions, (856) 374-6430