Nursing Homes: Getting Good Care There

Sarah Greene Burger, Virginia Fraser, Sara Hunt, Barbara Frank, Nursing Homes: Getting Good Care There. Impact Publishers. Atascadero, Ca., 2002. 159 pages.

$9.72 at Amazon (click on book to order).

When a loved one is admitted to a nursing home, you want to make sure he or she is getting the best possible care. Nursing Homes: Getting Good Care There can teach you how to be a good advocate for a nursing home resident. The book was prepared by the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, and the authors have extensive experience working in or with nursing homes.

Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book explains that the key to good care is effective assessment of a resident's needs and wishes and care planning to create individualized care for each resident. Using tips and example stories, the authors explain the rights of nursing home residents, what it means for nursing home residents to have quality of care and quality of life, and a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct assessment and care planning.

The book stresses that the law is on the resident's side, but the government doesn't always enforce it as well as it should, so you may have to act as an advocate. The authors go over the most common problems in care and how to deal with them. They explain how to talk to administrators about problems and where to go for support in the community. With questions to ask, checklists, and specific strategies, this book provides invaluable information to anyone with a loved one in a nursing home.