Safety and Security Measures to Consider When Looking for a Senior Living Facility
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on June 26, 2017
Safety and Security Measures to Consider When Looking for a Senior Living Facility
Helping a senior choose the best senior living facility may seem like an overwhelming task with many factors to consider. Is it affordable? Is transportation available? What is the current health condition of my senior family member or friend and which facility provides the best care? Though it takes time to decide on the best place and the best fit for the senior in your life, you must eventually make a choice. One of the most important factors in this decision that will bring you and your loved one comfort at the end of the day is the level of security and the various safety measures offered by your senior living facility.
A Way to Search for Nursing Home Safety Measures
If you are looking specifically at nursing homes for a senior, consider searching the nursing home compare page of the Medicare.gov website which includes up to date data of nursing homes around the nation associated with Medicaid and Medicare that provide skilled care. The data is collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. The ratings include information about the following:
- Overall star ratings and performance ratings on health inspections, quality measures, and hours of care per resident by nursing staff
- Health and Fire Safety inspections
- Nursing Home Staff Information (including number of medical professionals working at the nursing home)
- Quality Care measures that include percentages of specific patient care (such as the percentage of residents that have a bed sore)
- Any penalties against the nursing home
Nursing Home Security Considerations
Whether you and your loved one are looking for nursing homes, independent living communities, assisted living, residential care, continuing care, or memory care, choosing a facility with an abundance of security measures will help your loved one feel safe and may help to ease the transition. Consider these questions to ask or observe when touring senior living facilities:
- Are background checks conducted on hired staff?
- Are there alert systems enabled for those with a fall risk who get up unassisted?
- For Alzheimer’s residents, are exits properly secured?
- Are there cameras installed at the entrances and parking lots?
- Are the parking lots, whether located on the surface or underground, equipped with access card only entrances to park and enter the building?
- Are parking lots lighted properly?
- How does the staff treat residents?
- Is there access to information about any former abusive behavior in the facility?
- Are there smoke detectors and sprinklers within the senior living facility?
- Does the facility have a fire evacuation plan?
- Search the senior living facility’s address in Family Watchdog to be aware of any registered sex offenders in the area
- Does the facility have a lockdown plan?
- Are there enough staff members to ensure that they are not overworked?
- Is there a place within resident’s room where property can be securely locked?
- Who has access to the resident’s room?
- What is their procedure for allowing visitors?
Communication is always essential so be sure to keep in touch with the senior in your life to be aware of what helps them feel most safe and secure in their new home.
Perhaps you have read through the questions above for security, but you are still not quite sure where to start for looking for a senior living facility. Go to our senior living community resource page to continue your research and go through the variety of living options that we can help you explore today!