By Gary Barg

This principle in the Fearless Caregiver Manifesto relates to one of the most important decisions you may be asked to make as a family caregiver—choosing an appropriate long-term care facility for your loved one.

With this decision you need to select a safe and comfortable place in which your loved one will live, and you’ll also need to select a team of healthcare professionals who will become care partners.

Before you choose a facility it is important to consider some important points. The first thing to remember when entering any facility is to trust your own senses. Do the residents of the facility appear content and well-cared for? Are the facilities clean and comfortable?

Other things to do and notice when choosing a long-term care facility:

• Conduct a “smell test.” Be concerned if the facility has a strong scent of urine or an overpowering disinfectant smell. 
• Speak to as many different staff and residents as possible. Get a sense of how the residents and workers feel about the facility. Do they enjoy living or working there?
• Talk frankly with family members of other residents.
• Notice how the staff treats the other residents in their care, as it may reflect the level of care your loved one will receive.
• Visit at different times of day and evening before making a decision.
• Ask about the level of staff to resident. How many are on duty during the day, overnight and on weekends?
• Ask about the facility’s policy for holding a bed if your loved one must be hospitalized or go into a rehabilitation facility for a temporary period.
• Ask to see a copy of the facility’s contract and read it carefully. You may want to consult with an attorney before signing a contract.
• Find out if the facility has a comprehensive disaster and emergency plan including evacuation procedures and when it was last updated. Ask to review a copy of the plan.

Visit a few area facilities before making a choice. You are in charge of this important decision and should never be made to feel pressured.

You need to research, ask plenty of questions and above all, trust your own instincts.