Offer social activities, church services, and visits by family and friends. Your needs for companionship are as important as your medical and physical needs. Offer social services to help you and your family adjust to nursing home life and to plan for your discharge when you are well enough to go home. Talk with your social worker, nurse, or doctor about what is available in your community. Also talk with friends or acquaintances who may have had experience finding a nursing home.
Some nursing homes have a better reputation than others.
The experiences of others can be valuable. Ask your hospital discharge planner or social worker for recommendations and always check it out yourself. If you are too sick to visit, have your family do this for you. You can always transfer to another nursing home if you choose the wrong place for you, but try to make the right choice the first time by visiting several homes. Nursing homes vary in the services they provide, the quality of care, and their costs.