Admissions Process

Verifying the Admissions Process

Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll want to verify once again the details regarding availability, what sort of payments the nursing home accepts, and what happens if the elderly or senior relative is using one form of payment (e.g., personal savings) and switches to a different form of payment (e.g., Medicaid). The reason this is important to ask is because some nursing homes will move residents when they switch payments, which is something you hope doesn’t happen.

To make the admissions process easier, get together the following documents and other items:

Insurance information

A deposit if required (typically if you’re paying out of pocket)

Health care advance directives (e.g., a living will and durable power of attorney for health decisions)

Your relative's medical history (though the doctor can provide this), current health status, list of medications, and who to contact in an emergency.

During the admission process you will also be given a contract to read and sign. During the selection process you should have already previewed this contract, so there won’t be any surprises in it.

If there’s anything you do not understand, talk to an attorney. The nursing/convalescent home resident will be bound by whatever’s written in this contract, so be sure you not only understand it, be sure that you are comfortable with it as well.

Look very carefully over the charges and fee structures. Even some seemingly basic services may incur charges – and indeed, they may or may not incur charges depending on the resident’s payment method. Also be sure that you understand how and when you’ll be notified if the fee structure changes.

By law nursing homes develop a plan of care for each resident. Your loved one and you may both take part in developing this plan of care. If you are your loved one’s legal guardian, you may make decisions on their behalf.

As you prepare to move your loved one into the nursing home, remember it’s the little things that will make a big difference -- like being sure to continue magazine subscriptions at the nursing home, ensuring that your loved one has some of her favorite personal belongings and clothes (marked with your loved one’s name on the tags so they don’t get sent to the wrong room), and other similar things.

This may also be a stressful time for both you and your loved one if you need to sell your loved one’s house and sell or give away his or her furniture and other things that can’t be taken to the nursing home. Help your loved one as much as possible with this task, and keep in mind that while it may feel stressful to you, it’s probably overwhelming and extremely sad for your loved one. These are the times when you need to keep your loved one talking about his or her feelings and fears, so that you can do everything possible to help with the transition.

You may also find this to be an interesting role switch for you. If previously you provided all of your loved one’s care, there may be a sense of relief as you switch from care giver to care advocate. There may be a sense of sadness like you let your loved one down – but keep in mind that the nursing home was perhaps the only option, and they can provide better care for your loved one when you become physically, emotionally or even financially unable to do it any longer).

Since you are so familiar with your loved one’s needs, it's important for you to become involved with your loved one’s plan of care (always assuming that they want your involvement). Let the care team know your loved one’s medical, psychological, physical, social, and spiritual needs and routines during the admissions process. (for example, give a general outline of their day.

Nursing Home Cost

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