Can you give me some tips on picking a good nursing home for my parent? I have been taking care of my parent at home after they suffered a stroke, and I am looking for a facility that can handle their care going forward. 

Choosing a quality nursing home for a loved one is a very important decision that requires careful evaluation and some research. Here are some steps you can take that can help you find a good facility. 

Make a list: There are several sources you can turn to for referrals to top nursing homes in your area. These include the Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 or visit Eldercare.acl.gov for contact information), your parent’s doctor or nearby hospital discharge planner, friends or neighbors who may have had a loved one in a nursing home. You can also check online at Medicare’s nursing home compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare. This Medicare tool will help you locate nursing homes in your area and provides a 5-star rating system on recent health inspections, staffing, quality of care and overall rating.

Also, keep in mind that it is always best to choose a nursing home that is close to family members and friends who can visit often, as regular visits can help support resident’s overall care and quality of life.

Call your long-term care ombudsman: This is a government official who investigates nursing home complaints and advocates for residents and their families. This person may be able to tell you which nursing homes have had complaints or problems in the past and can help you locate a good facility.

Contact the nursing homes: Once you have narrowed your search, call the nursing homes you are interested in to verify if they can facilitate your parent’s needs. Also, find out if they have any vacancies, what they charge and if they accept Medicaid.

Tour your top choices: During your nursing home visit, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind to its residents? Additionally, be sure to taste the food, and talk to the residents and their family members, if possible. It is also a good idea to visit several times at different times of the day and different days of the week to get a broader perspective. Additionally, be sure to find out about their staff screening and training procedures, staff-to-patient ratio and the staff turnover rate.

To help you rate your visit, Medicare offers a helpful checklist of questions to ask at Medicare.gov/media/document/12130nursing-home-checklist508.pdf that you can print and take with you on your visit.

Paying for Care

With nursing home costs now averaging $305 per day nationally for a semi-private room and nearly $350 for a private room, paying for care is another area you may have questions about or need assistance with. Medicare only helps pay up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care, which must occur after a hospital stay of at least three days.

Most nursing home residents pay for care from either personal savings, a long-term care insurance policy or through Medicaid once their savings are depleted. If your parent is a veteran, they may be able to get funds through the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit (visit VA.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound).

To learn more about payment options, ask the nursing home director. You can also get help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free counseling on all Medicare and Medicaid issues. To find a local SHIP counselor visit ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675.

For more information, check out Medicare’s booklet “Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home” (you can use the search feature and insert 02174 to find the PDF easily). You can view it online at Medicare.gov/Publications.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.