A resident’s room is the most important part of the nursing home. Residents will spend a large portion of their time in their assigned room and it will be their home base. Because home is such a vital thing, ask many questions.
Find out if residents can bring their own furniture from home and have personal belongings. Ask if there are any restrictions about some items or pieces of furniture. Make sure that the room has a window. It’s preferable if rooms have a personal telephone and television for each resident too. Ask if pictures or favorite photographs can be hung on the walls. A water pitcher should be easily accessible by all residents, especially those who may be confined to bed.
If roommates are going to be a fact of life, ask if residents have any input into who shares their space. If a married couple is considering a care facility, make sure that they can share a room. Ask if roommates can be changed should personality conflicts develop.
Most of all be sure that you and your senior citizen family member are aware of resident rights. Federal law protects these rights. All new residents should receive a copy of these rights and they should also be posted in a public, prominent location. If rights seem to be violated in any way, contact the home administrator and if that fails, seek outside assistance.
Resident rights are:
Respect. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
Services and fees. Residents must receive written confirmation of all services and costs before entering a facility.
Money. Each resident has the right to handle their own financial affairs or to designate someone to do it for them.
Privacy. Everyone has the right to privacy which includes being able to have personal belongings, to protect those possessions from others as long as doing so doesn’t interfere with someone else’s rights.
Medical care. Residents should be given full information about their own condition, health issues, treatments, and medications. Necessary medications should be administered in a timely manner. Residents also retain the right to say no to any treatment or medication.