Admitting Your Loved One Into a Nursing Home

 52% of people turning 65 years old will need long-term care services in their lifetime.

Deciding when to admit your loved one into a nursing home is one thing.

Knowing how to get someone admitted to a nursing home is a whole other problem.

If it's coming to the time when you need to consider long-term care for your loved one, it's best to be prepared.

There are a number of things you need to consider before they can actually make the move.

Keep reading to learn about the steps to getting someone in a nursing home.

When Is It Time to Put Your Loved One in a Nursing Home?

In some cases, making the decision to put someone in long-term care is easy. 

These are cases where sudden injury or medical illness makes it impossible to care for the individual in their home.

In other cases, the decision is more difficult.

These are cases where chronic health conditions worsen over time and where loved ones are unwilling to accept the care they need.

If this is your situation, you need to look at the mental, behavioral, and physical signs that tell you when it's time to make the decision.

When your loved one poses a danger to themselves or others, are no longer able to care for themselves or live independently, or require a degree of support that the family can't offer on a 24/7 basis, then it may be time to talk about a nursing home.

How to Get Someone Admitted to a Nursing Home

When you know it's time to move your loved one into a long-term care facility; you'll need some guidance on how to do so.

Below are the steps you need to take into order to get your loved one into a nursing home. 

Decide on the Home

If your loved one is capable, then they should be included in the decision as to what home they go into.

If they don’t have the faculties to make those kinds of decisions, you’ll be left to make the decision on your own.

If you have siblings, you should involve them in the process to make it easier for everyone.

Consider talking to a geriatrician or social worker to help you find a home that's both affordable and reputable.

You might also consider looking at online reviews for homes in your area.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few, vet the facility and make a visit.

Take your loved one along to tour the facility and make sure they're comfortable with the one you choose.

Apply for the Wait List

The best facilities are typically full.

They won't accept new residents until they have rooms available.

And rooms only become available when residents leave or pass away.

That's why it's important to apply for the waitlist once you've found a facility that meets your needs.

This is also a reason why you should start looking at long-term care far in advance of needing it.

That will ensure that you get your pick when the time comes.

Visit the Doctor

In most cases, your loved one will have to have seen their doctor at least 30 days before they apply for long-term care.

They'll need to sign off on the need for long-term care.

Consult an Attorney

An elder law lawyer can help you make important decisions that should be taken care of before entering the nursing home.

They can help you sort out how to manage your loved one's income, assets, and property, for example.

This is especially important if your loved one has a spouse that is staying at home.

If you run into any problems while your loved one is in the facility, these attorneys may also act as nursing home abuse attorneys.

Having a prior relationship with them will help you feel more comfortable should something like that happen.

Get the Paperwork in Order

There's a lot of paperwork involved in making a move to a nursing home.

Below are just some of the must-haves before moving your loved one.

Physician's Order for Admission.

Your loved one's physician has to confirm that your loved one requires long-term care.

Physician's Order for Medications and Treatment.

This provides orders regarding the care of your loved one to the caregivers and physician of the nursing home.

Medical History and Physical.

This gives the caregivers and physicians at the long-term care facility updated information about your loved one's health conditions and needs.

It will include any information about medications and dosages as well.

Admissions Paperwork.

You'll have to read and sign the admissions paperwork of the facility.

This can usually be completed just before they're admitted, but every facility has different rules.

You'll also be required to fill out the state-required form of your state.

Take along relevant information such as contact information for previous physician's as well as family members.

You might also consider giving the facility information about the daily routine and activities of your loved one.

Figure Out Payment

There are a few ways to pay for long-term care.

Medicare might help you pay for long-term care, in some cases.

In order to be covered by medicare, your loved one will need to have been hospitalized for a minimum of 3 days and require skilled nursing care for at least 30 days after their discharge.

Keep in mind that Medicare is more for short-term care and won't help cover the costs of living in a nursing home.

Medicaid is an option for covering the costs of a nursing home.

However, Medicaid is a needs-based program, which means that the income and assets of your loved one are the only consideration in determining whether they qualify.

Other options include reverse mortgages, long term care insurance, or using nursing home tax deductions.

You might also consider relocating your loved one to an area where the cost of care is lower.

Don't Delay In Making This Decision.

In order to ensure that you get the best care for your loved one, start thinking about these things in advance.

In many cases, it's not enough to know how to get someone admitted to a nursing home, and you'll need to start making this decision well in advance of actual need.

That will help you plan for payment, get your loved one on board, and avoid the stress of making last-minute decisions.

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