The importance of nursing home communication and relaying information clearly is a key consideration for anyone entering a home and for family members involved in the process. Good nursing home communication helps ensure you or your loved one, as well as nursing home staff, are all on the same page together.

Deciding whether it is best for mom or dad to move to a nursing home is a very difficult decision. Their well-being and safety are your primary goals, especially in these times of Covid. After considering other options, sometimes a nursing home is the only solution.

Once the decision is made, what is the best way to help ensure that your loved one gets the best care possible? The answer is good communication. The best care is achieved through a partnership between the nursing home staff and the family. The first thing the family should do is establish a clear line of communication with the nursing home’s multidisciplinary staff. Here are some tips to consider when communicating with the nursing home staff:

  1. When possible, vary the times that you and your family come to the nursing home to visit your loved one.
  2. Tell the Director of Nursing that a member of your family would like to attend all care plan meetings.
  3. Ask the staff questions about your loved one’s current medical conditions.
  4. Ask the staff if any of those medical conditions could get worse, and what the nursing home will do to try to prevent that from happening.
  5. Skin breakdown, for example, needs to be identified and addressed as soon as possible. If your loved one cannot get out of bed and walk, inspect their skin for any blemishes, bruising, broken skin, or signs of puss or oozing.
  6. If you see bandages covering a new wound, ask the nursing home staff questions. Ask the staff to remove bandages so you can see the condition of the skin, or if you can be present the next time that they change the bandages.
  7. Take photographs of anything that looks suspicious, especially problems with your loved one’s skin.
  8. If you have any concerns that you do not feel are being adequately addressed, put your concerns in writing.
  9. If you have any concerns that you do not feel are being adequately addressed, quickly ascend the chain of command – to nursing supervisors, the Director of Nursing, and the Nursing Home Administrator.

Good nursing homes recognize that good communication is a cornerstone of providing excellent care and preventing avoidable injuries. Good nursing homes instill a culture that demands timely communications between their staff and the resident’s families and physicians. If your family follows these tips, your loved one will have a better chance at a safe and pleasant experience.