Making the decision that our elder needed to be in some sort of facility was hard.
Figuring out which would be best for her was even harder.
Here are some of the things we considered and did in making the choice.
Choosing Type: A few years ago our elder broke her ankle.
She spent a week in a skilled care facility, sort of like a nursing home.
She did not do well.
I don't know which was happier when she left, the staff at the facility or our elder.
We still didn't have her home set up properly, so she went into a board and care home.
She did not do well there, either.
Same thing on the happiness score.
Because of these two experiences we were well aware that those were not going to be viable options.
That doesn't mean they are bad choices, this is showing the selection process.
When to Visit: After selecting the type of facility the next step is visiting.
The best way to do this is to make two visits.
One should be on a weekend and the other should be on a week day during the day.
You may have to ask when visiting hours are so as not to interrupt meals and so forth.
This is to make sure the staff is always careful rather than being showy for weekend visitors.
Who to Talk to: There's always going to be something of a sales team even if that's not what they call it.
By all means talk to them and ask them every question you can think of.
Don't stop there.
Talk to some of the caregivers.
Talk to some of the people who live there.
Talk to the families.
The more people you can speak to will help you figure out if the place is right.
What to Ask: First off, ask the standard questions such as visiting hours, insurance coverage and so forth.
On top of those, ask if hospice would be available there.
Ask about emergencies.
Find out if they honor do not revive requests.
Do they call an ambulance first or you first if something happens.
If you live in an area that has natural disasters find out what plans they have in place for them.
We live in earthquake country and we're in the middle of a severe drought.
Both hazards have been addressed.
If you have doubts, listen to them.
There are often things that your conscious mind doesn't notice but the subconscious does.
That has been the most helpful piece of information we learned.