F

or even more detailed information

about selecting a nursing home,
contact: Office of State Long Term Care
Ombudsman, Pennsylvania Department of
Aging, Forum Place, 555 Walnut St., Fifth
Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1919 Phone:
717-783-7247. Individuals also may call the
toll-free Long Term Care Helpline,
1-866-286-3636, to speak to a counselor for
information and referrals.
Information on nursing homes and
personal care homes also is available on
the Department of Agings Web site at
www.aging.state.pa.us or www.ltlinpa.com
or on the federal Department of Health
and Human Services Web site at www.
medicare.gov by clicking on Compare
Nursing Homes in Your Area and
searching by Pennsylvania county, city or
zip code.

Selecting A

NURSING
HOME

State Representative

Jesse White

Often, the decision must be made in a matter of days. Even when one knows
well in advance, there are still many aspects that should be considered in picking
the right home.
I hope these suggested questions help make your decision
easier.

TS

our the Homes

Name of nursing home(s):

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

1 Is it clean?

2 Does it smell clean?

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

3 What are the visiting

hours?

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

4 Do hallways, stairs

and bathrooms have

grab bars?

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

5 Does the home/rooms

have a colorful, pleasant,

home-like atmosphere? ____________________ ___________________ ___________________

Capitol Office:
102B East Wing P.O. Box 202046
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2046
Phone: (717) 783-6437 Fax: (717) 780-4781

WEBSITE: www.pahouse.com/white

aking a decision about a nursing home in which to place a loved one or

yourself is not easy.

pend additional time in the home beyond your initial visit, even if it involves just sitting in a
public area where residents have access. You might want to drop by at a couple different times of
the day. Talk to residents and observe the actions and attitude of the staff.

Compliments of

DISTRICT OFFICES:
Cecil:
3855 Millers Run Road
P.O. Box 285 Cecil, PA 15321
Phone: (724) 746-3677 Fax: (724) 746-3799
Burgettstown:
1425 Burgettstown Plaza #5
Burgettstown, PA 15021
Phone: (724) 947-4422 Fax: (724) 947-5386
Canton Township:
2403 Jefferson Ave. Suite C
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: (724) 222-4192 Fax: (724) 222-4194

6 Are the residents clean

and properly groomed? ____________________ ___________________ ___________________
7 Is there an active

residents council?

WHAT TO
LOOK FOR

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

Do staff members knock

before entering residents
rooms and address them
by name?
____________________ ___________________ ___________________

Are indoor and outdoor

common areas available
for residents to visit
with guests?
____________________ ___________________ ___________________

10 Do residents appear

generally upbeat?

____________________ ___________________ ___________________

LPO.REV.0310

he major concern of
most people about to
enter a nursing home is
how they will finance the
care.

Questions to ask
Name of nursing home(s):

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Bed capacity?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

How many residents is the

home currently caring for?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Facility owner?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Managing company?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Current license status?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Has the facility had licensing

problems in the last five years? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Are specific therapies and

services the resident will
require available?

Then ...

Is the home conveniently located

for family and friends to visit? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

T o help you better

compare what each has to
offer, after the questions,
there is space for the
answers from three nursing
homes.

Is the home affiliated with a

religion?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

10

Is the home a Medicarecertified participant?

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

11

Is the home a Medicaid-certified

(Medical Assistance) participant? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

12

How much will you or your loved one

be required to pay over specific periods,
such as weekly or monthly?
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

13

Will they let you examine recent

menus?
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

14

Registered dietician on staff?

15

Can residents choose the activities

they wish to participate in?
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

16

Does the facility have an

emergency evacuation plan
and hold regular fire drills?

17

Name and telephone number of a

local advocate for nursing home
residents and families? ____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before you begin looking

at homes, account for all
possible sources of funding
and project those sources
well into the future. Include
private insurance, personal
financial resources and
eligibility for Medicaid or
Medicare.

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Ask for a written copy

of each homes policies,

including admission,
transfer and discharge
agreements.

Also ask each home

if there are items or

services you want that
are not included in the
payment rate and what
they cost.

Lastly ...
Ask around among
your family and friends
about what they
have heard about the
nursing homes you are
considering. Clergy and
medical professionals
might also provide you
with insight.