4 things to look for when choosing a long-term care facility for a loved one

"Sometimes it's a fall that brings a broken hip and a loss of mobility. Or memory problems that bubble into danger. Or the death of the partner who was relied upon for care.The need to move to a nursing home, assisted living facility or another type of care setting often comes suddenly, setting off an abrupt, daunting search. It's likely something no one ever wanted, but knowing what to look for and what to ask can make a big difference."

"Regulation of assisted living facilities varies greatly from state to state, meaning there's no centralized standards or source for information. If you're looking for a nursing home, though, they are monitored by the federal government.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services maintains records on nursing homes, including data on who owns the facility, how robust its staffing is and what types of violations it might have been fined for. It assigns homes a star rating, from one to five."

"Sam Brooks, director of public policy for the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, says while the star rating "can be notoriously unreliable," due to its reliance on self-reported data, it can still provide some clues about a home."One or two stars, expect it to be bad," Brooks says.Ratings can be a resource to rule out the worst options, but not necessarily to find the best."

Falls, memory decline, or loss of a caregiving partner often create sudden needs for nursing homes or assisted living. Regulation of assisted living varies by state; nursing homes are monitored federally. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services keeps ownership, staffing, and violation records and assigns one-to-five star ratings. Star ratings rely on self-reported data and can be unreliable, but one- or two-star ratings often indicate serious problems and four- and five-star homes merit closer review. Nonprofit facilities frequently have better staffing. Inspection reports and online reviews offer clues, but in-person visits and looking beyond a home's lobby remain essential.

Read at Fast Company