Searching for a skilled nursing facility? Here is your checklist

Assisted living facilities, skilled nursing care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and senior living facilities play an essential role in the life of an elderly person. As they advance in age, seniors become prone to an array of physical and mental health issues. This increases the external dependency which also includes professional caregiving.

Skilled nursing care facilities are an integral part of the advanced senior care ecosystem. Providing compassionate care that include physical care, daily life care, and mental wellness, skilled nursing care facilities are the go-to facilities for people who got discharged from hospital or diagnosed with a chronic medical condition. The high-level care by the skilled nursing specialists includes post discharge care and stroke care for elders in both short-term and long-term care for seniors.

But choosing the right skilled nursing facility for your loved one can be an extremely stressful task. Stay with us until the end of the blog to learn more about the qualities of the best skilled nursing care facilities.

What is your requirement?

Choosing the right care facility purely depends on one's needs as there are many types of nursing care facilities for seniors. It can be a regular care facility prescribed by your doctor for basic medical care to advanced care for post-hospitalization care.

The facilities also provide rehabilitation services for seniors that include physical rehabilitation, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The other services include senior custodial care services such as preparation and serving of meals, and support in personal and daily care.

Choosing the facility that serves your requirement is the first step you should take before searching for one. Once that box is checked, here are the other qualities you should look out for before choosing a nursing facility for your aging loved one.

• Clinical expertise of the facility - The medical experience and expertise of the skilled nursing care professionals matter the most when it comes to opting for a skilled nursing facility. Compassion and customized care approaches are two good signs to trust a facility with your loved one’s holistic recovery.
• Reputation of the facility - Healthcare services is a sector that still breathes and nurtures on word of mouth. If you could find a way to ignore the paid reviews on Google and other platforms, you could find the gem of a facility for your loved one.
• Take references into consideration - If there is someone, your relatives or friends who have recommendations about a particular facility, take it into your consideration. In most cases, these facilities may turn out to be better than you expect.
• The atmosphere of the facility - The atmosphere of the nursing care facility is crucial in helping the elder maintain the quality of life. Rather than believing the website images or high-profile leadership teams, visit the facility personally to evaluate the overall look and feel of it.
• Proximity from your home - If the facility is nearby, it would be easy for you or for your loved one to have frequent visits. Sharing the same locality also helps your elder not feeling alienated or abandoned. However, ensure the facility meets your requirements and has the highest rating possible in resident satisfaction.
• Therapy and care - Physical injuries or recovery from an illness require more than just nursing care. The facility should have all the necessary equipment to help the elders make a seamless transition from illness to wellness. Enquire for the facilities, advanced equipment and the overall care metrics that are followed in developing the customized care plans.
• Lifestyle activities - Nursing care facilities don’t have to wear dull and ill faces. They can be vibrant with a happening culture that include music sessions, book reading sessions, story times, group discussions, socialization, and other positive mind enhancing activities. If a facility is promoting physical as well as mental wellness activities, go for it.
• Healthy menu - A balanced, nutritiously rich diet opens doors for a healthy recovery experience. Like the customized care plans, personalized diet is also important for your elders to recover faster. Ensure the facility offers personalized diet for your loved one, based on his/her health and personal preferences.
• Emotional support - It all boils down to this — how the facility is making an elder feel. The compassion aspect in any care goes a long way in the recovery journey. If the senior is feeling happy or rather feeling at home, the facility is ticking all the right boxes. You can leave your senior without any inhibitions in such a facility.

Athulya Assisted Living in Chennai offers first of its kind skilled nursing care services in India. If you are searching for a trustworthy skilled nursing facility in Chennai, visit Athulya Assisted Living to see and experience the authentic senior-friendly atmosphere that this facility is known for.