Finding a Nursing Home
(And what you find
when you get there)
By V.K. Lynn

"Being old is not a dysfunction; it is a progression of life and not a reason for admission to a nursing facility."

This is a short (24 pages) book that is packed with very useful information from a true expert.

The author has been a nurse for over 45 years and a Director of Nursing and Nursing Home Administrator. She also went through the experience of admitting her own parents to a facility, in another city. The author's credentials make the information extremely credible and valuable.

The book gives lists of things you need to know - like how the admission process to a facility actually works - what steps need to be taken. It encourages people to do some homework to investigate facilities and offers useful tips to help make that crucial decision.

The author lists many websites to help with your research such as the state of Ohio's Long-Term Care Consumer Guide.

Chapter 2 covers The Reality of what to expect from a nursing home. Again, there is no fluff added. The information provided will be invaluable to someone facing this move.

Lots of useful tips from this insider such as "The first thing one must understand is that most nursing homes are designed on the medical model and are not promising to be the Hilton."

More tips on what to expect (bathing, personal care, nail trimming, meals, etc) and information on the medical care and what the family can/should do are listed.

The final chapter covers Assisted Living vs. Nursing care facilities. Again, it is packed with useful information that only someone with the author's experience might know.

This is an extremely valuable book for those interested in some of the realities of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.