Insider's Guide to Better Nursing Home Care: 75 Tips You Should Know

As the baby-boomer generation ages, nursing home care is likely to become a major social problem. New residents will put huge strains on already short staffing at a time when funding to government-assisted homes (75 percent of all nursing homes) is lower than ever.

Based on her ten years of experience working as a Licensed Practical Nurse in many care facilities, attorney Donna M. Reed shares her insider knowledge to help ensure that nursing home residents receive the best care possible. Reed focuses on the following key points:
• The legal requirements of nursing homes regarding delivery of care
• The ways in which many nursing homes regularly break these laws
• Detailed descriptions of how the typical nursing home operates
• The responsibilities of each nursing home employee
• Nursing home inspections
• Residents' rights
• How to avoid substandard care
• What actions to take to improve nursing home life

Reed's firsthand knowledge of nursing home care and her in-depth understanding of the legal requirements that protect residents offer invaluable information to readers concerned about a loved one in a nursing home.

Dick Maxwell - Library Journal

In this practical guide intended for family members making placement decisions for their loved ones, Reed writes with authority, bringing to the subject ten years of experience working as a licensed practical nurse in a variety of nursing homes prior to becoming an attorney. She systematically describes the types of nursing homes, functions of staff members, and even the details of what goes on in each eight-hour shift. She follows with sections on the legal rights of residents and what the law requires of nursing homes, including mandatory inspections. The chapter on improving nursing home life suggests things to look for and questions to ask. Reed's warnings come through clearly, making the lengthy chapter called "Nursing Home Tragedies," while depressingly comprehensive, feel redundant. All of the suggestions are summed up in a succinct checklist to use when visiting and assessing nursing homes. Similar to Eric M. Carlson and Katharine Bau Hsiao's The Baby Boomer's Guide to Nursing Home Care but with the insight of Reed's insider experience, this is recommended for all public libraries.