Host: Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey

Guest: Pat Dismukes

Broadcast and podcast starting: Feb. 23, 2009 on webtalkradio.net. After 3-2-09 the podcast is also on the links below

 

 Sleuth Secrets for Finding the Best Nursing Homes and Assisted Living [53:26m]: Play NowDownload

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Chances are sooner or later someone you care about will need a nursing home. It might even be you for that fall on the ice, auto accident, or recovering from a knee replacement. Large cities have dozens of nursing homes. How do you choose the best one? How do you make sure you get optimal care once in a nursing home? Pat Dismukes, author of *5* Star Nursing Home Comparison Guide shares her sleuth secrets for getting the best possible care.

I supplement her advice with my own experience in doing consults in therapy in several nursing homes for several years. I was attracted to what Pat had to say because of her emphasis on gathering information up front and her Columbo style of checking out facilities. The information gathering includes:
• being clear about what kind of care you need-e.g., Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, good wound care
• being clear about your lifestyle needs-activities, noise, privacy
• determining how you will pay for it (private health insurance, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid) Note: Some nursing homes accept Medicaid and some don’t. Once a patient in a nursing home Medicaid, Medicare, Blue Cross and private pay patients get the same nursing care. The only differences are that insurance programs vary in what medical procedures, medications, medical supplies, specialty therapies they fund. At least currently, Medicaid patients typically get the same medications including expensive trademarked drugs as other patients.
• clarifying the roles and support families will fill, e.g., finances, visiting, shopping, laundry, home,
• gathering documents: medical info, and prescription info, list of all doctors and healthcare practitioners, healthcare power of attorney, living will, possibly financial power of attorney
• deciding which doctors you will use

Resources include the free 68 page Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home and the very detailed information and rating system on nursing homes at www.Medicare.gov/NHcompare.

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