Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or convalescent care facilities, provide a wide range of services. These services include nursing care, 24-hour supervision, assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) and rehabilitation services, such as physical, occupational and speech therapy. Some people need nursing home services for a short period of time for recovery or rehabilitation after a serious illness or operation, while others need longer stays because of chronic physical, health or cognitive conditions that require constant care or supervision. It is important to find the nursing facility that is right for you and your family member. The steps outlined in this document can guide you in finding the best facility for you and your family member.

The first step in selecting a nursing home is to determine your needs or the needs of your family member. You should get assistance from your doctor and other health care providers to help you assess your particular health needs. The next steps that you may want to take are as follows:

When trying to find a nursing home that meets your needs, it is helpful to create a list of facilities. The list should consist of nursing homes in your geographic area that you would like to research further. The georgiahealthinfo.gov Web site can assist you in your search. Go to the ”Search for Care” tab above to find compare nursing homes in your area.

The cost for nursing homes can vary depending on where you live and what type of care you need. Health insurance plans typically do not cover long-term care at home or in a nursing home. Medicare pays only for short-term medically necessary skilled care at a skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation facility or home health care. Most long-term care is to assist people with support services such as dressing, bathing and using the bathroom, which is often called custodial care. Custodial care is care that helps you with ADL. It may also include care that most people do for themselves. Medicare does not pay for this type of care.

Contact the individual facilities that you have on your list to find out about available space and services offered. If you are in need of a facility immediately, you can rule out those on your list that have a long waiting list. You can research facility specific services on georgiahealthinfo.gov.

Remember to ask about the facility’s staffing patterns, the quality of the facility as determined by the number and type of deficiencies found during inspections, complaints that have been filed, and quality of life of the residents. It is very important that you investigate the quality of each of the facilities on your list. The georgiahealthinfo.gov Web site can assist you with this. The overall quality rankings of each nursing home in Georgia are listed. The quality rankings on this Web site were provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To find out information on accreditation of nursing homes in your area, visit The Joint Commission Web site at jointcommission.org.

It is very important for you and your family member to visit the nursing homes on the list that you have developed to make sure the facility will meet all of your needs as well as the needs of your family members. There are several things to consider when you are visiting the facility. You can use the Nursing Home Checklist located in the helpful tools section to assist you in making your decision. Feel free to talk with the staff and residents at the nursing home during your visit. Make sure you get all of your questions answered.

Nursing home residents have specific rights and protections under the law, in addition to their rights as a U.S. citizen. The rights listed below are specified in the Medicare program and can also vary under state law. These rights exist so that residents have a dignified experience while living in a nursing home.

At a minimum, federal law specifies that a nursing home must protect and promote the rights of each resident.

Nursing Home patients have the right to:

• Not be discriminated against based on race, color, national origin, disability, age or religion under certain conditions
• Be treated with dignity and respect
• Make your own schedule, including when you go to bed, rise in the morning and eat your meals
• Choose the activities you would want to attend. Also, the nursing home can not interfere with, coerce, discriminate or retaliate against you in exercising your rights
• Be free from verbal, sexual, physical, and mental abuse, corporal punishment and involuntary seclusion by anyone
• Refuse restraint, except if you are at risk of harming yourself or others
• Be properly informed when any services and fees change
• Manage your own money or to choose someone you trust to do this for you
• Privacy and to keep and use your personal belongings and property as long as they do not interfere with the rights, health or safety of others
• Send and receive mail and nursing home staff should never open your mail unless you allow it
• Use a telephone and talk privately
• Share a room with your spouse (if you both agree to do so) if you are both living in the same nursing home
• Reject a move to an inappropriate room
• Review the nursing home’s health and fire safety inspection results
• Be fully informed in a language you understand about your total health status, including your medical condition and medications
• See your own doctor
• Take part in developing your care plan
• Create an advance directive
• Self-administer medications unless the nursing home finds this unsafe
• Refuse medications and treatments (but this could be harmful to your health) and refuse to participate in experimental treatment
• Access all your records and reports, including clinical records (medical records and reports), within 24 hours
• Photocopy your records for a standard fee when you provide two days notice to the nursing home
• Spend private time with visitors
• Choose to move to another place
• Appeal a transfer to another facility
• Make a complaint to the staff of the nursing home, or any other person, without fear of punishment