You do have the power to improve the quality of your loved one's overall nursing home experience. Consider the following:
Get involved with the nursing staff. Tell them about your loved one's likes and dislikes. The more they know and understand about your loved one, the more they can understand and anticipate his/her needs.
Get to know that staff. These people should not be strangers to you. Learn their names and make them your friends.
Know the resident's rights and responsibilities. The more you understand about the resident's rights, the more you can maintain and protect them. Conversely, every resident has a certain amount of responsibilities that you need to understand.
Participate in the Resident's Plan of Care. It is always a good idea to attend any scheduled Plan of Care meetings to discuss the goals for the resident and how the staff plans to meet those goals.
Monitor resident care. Try to learn as much as possible about your loved one's condition and ask questions if you are confused about anything. If you are concerned about anything that has to do with your loved one, talk to someone!
Be involved. Visit your loved one as often as possible and take an interest in his/her life and activities.
Be available. Provide all phone numbers where you can be reached (home, work, cellular, etc.)
Make sure he/she is comfortable with their room. If the resident is not comfortable, talk to the social worker.
Label everything. Do not just label your loved one's clothes, label all their personal belongings. Understand the financial picture. Make sure your know how the facility will get paid. Protect the resident's dignity. All nursing homes are committed to promoting and maintaining the dignity of the resident. Any questions: talk to the Director of Nursing.
Get involved and stay involved. If you have questions about your loved one's care, ask someone.