Evaluating a Nursing Home

Our elder law firm in Westchester County wants to help

It is of paramount importance that your loved ones enjoy a safe and comfortable living environment.  That is why Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP knows that you want to select the best possible facility to be their new home.

But sometimes, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Here are a few guidelines that may help:

• Make sure the nursing home is licensed.  The facility should be able to show you valid certification to practice in the state.  If the care of your loved one will be paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or a similar program, the nursing home should have certifications to accept those insurances as well.
• Check the facility's report card.  Nursing homes are subject to periodic inspections, and you should familiarize yourself with the results of the most recent ones.  These report cards can tell you about the nursing home's staff-to-patient ratio, unresolved instances of health code violations or elder abuse, and many other important details.  Medicare and the New York State Department of Health are both excellent resources for such reports.
• Tour the facility.  Is the nursing home in a safe neighborhood?  Is it clean, well lit, and in good repair?  Make sure that the facility is in a convenient location, where you and others will be able to visit as often as you like.  The staff should appear professional and friendly, and the residents contented and engaged.

Elder care lawyers in Westchester County protect resident rights

Be sure to contact our elder law lawyers in Westchester County if you suspect that the rights of your loved one were violated.  Among others, your elder retains the right to:

• Be fully informed of all recommended treatments and procedures
• Choose his or her own doctors, whether inside or outside the facility
• Manage his or her own money, or select a representative to do so for them
• Be kept up-to-date on any impending changes in his or her care
• Be free from abuse and neglect, whether physical, mental, or emotional
• Be free from retaliation for any reports of abuse or neglect

Contact an elder law attorney in Westchester County

Call Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP at 914-595-4081 or contact us online in the NYC metropolitan areas and surrounding counties: