Here’s what to know about choosing a long-term care facility in Illinois
Selecting the right long-term care facility for an aging parent or loved one involves weighing medical needs, daily support and community culture. Experts say it’s a best practice to visit prospective facilities in person and ask questions.
FULL STORY: Skilled care or assisted living? What to know about choosing a metro-east facility
Here are key takeaways:
- Match the care to the need. Assisted living doesn’t cover complex medical needs, Kenya O’Neal, a licensed nursing home administrator in Belleville, told the News-Democrat. People with chronic conditions may need skilled nursing or memory care instead.
- Look beyond the brochure. O’Neal recommends evaluating medical care, daily support, cleanliness and community culture when touring a facility. “The culture of the facility matters,” she said.
- Visit more than once. The Illinois Department of Public Health advises making multiple visits and talking to residents without staff present. If an administrator refuses, IDPH says, “you can assume he or she has something to hide.”
- Check location and safety. Consider proximity to hospitals, accident prevention measures, cleanliness and fire safety before signing on, according to IDPH.
- Use official inspection tools. IDPH (dph.illinois.gov) and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (cms.gov) inspect nursing homes and post violations online. CMS also runs a Five-Star Quality Rating System to help families compare facilities.
- Start with a needs assessment. IDPH suggests identifying the type of care required, factoring in the preferences of the person who needs care and listing local facilities that fit before calling ahead.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
Meredith Howard
Belleville News-Democrat