Nursing Homes near Philadelphia, PA

As parents and grandparents get older, they may require more assistance with their daily activities. When you have your family and responsibilities to manage, it can be difficult to provide the help and care they need. That's when it's time to start thinking about nursing home care. Finding the right nursing home can help ease the anxiety your loved one feels, and provide you with peace of mind about their care.

All About Philadelphia

Historically, Philadelphia is one of the most important cities in the nation. It served as the meeting place for the founding fathers, it was where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and it was where the Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787. After that, it served as the temporary capital of the nation while Washington, D.C. was under construction. Following the war, it became a prime destination for African Americans during The Great Migration. As racial tension grew the civil rights protests and riots got out of hand, and the city suffered decades of heavy crime and neared bankruptcy by the 1980's. Revitalization began in the 1990's, and the state turned around its finances and crime statistics through gentrification. The city aggressively began to market itself as a tourist destination, and immigration picked up, which helped to reverse the decades-long population decline. In today's environment, Philadelphia is culturally and economically diverse, offers plenty of entertainment and historical value, and it boasts some of the most beautiful outdoor views on the east coast.

What You Should Know

A large part of what makes seniors uncomfortable with nursing homes is the fear that they'll lose some of their independence. It helps you to know what objections your loved one has before you start researching facilities so you can address them when you visit each one. When the time comes to visit a nursing home, there are several questions you should ask. First, you should ask if the community is secure. Safety is important to the elderly, especially when they're in an unfamiliar place. Next, ask what type of training the staff has, and how long they have worked in their field. Another important piece of information is the staff to patient ratio. You want to know this for both daytime hours, and night hours. Find out what medical services are available, and how often families are updated about their loved one's well-being. Finally, ask what kind of alternative medicines they facility uses, if any. Once you have an answer to these questions, you can compare the facilities to one another.

What You and Your Loved One Can Expect

Once you make the decision, the next step is to find the right home. This process can be long, depending on your loved one's preferences, or it can go rather quickly. Once you've decided on a place, the next piece is figuring out how to pay for it. Hopefully you purchased long-term care insurance, which typically covers the cost of nursing homes. However, if not, you might want to look into Medicare and Medicaid. Relying solely on your savings may have your aging loved one back at home with you within six months to a year. After that, the next step is the actual move. If your parent or grandparent is sentimental, this will be a hard step. Be there as a support system for them, and take it as slow as possible to help them feel more comfortable.

Paying for a Nursing Home

The average cost for a nursing home is about $50,000 to $75,000 a year. Areas with a higher cost of living can expect those prices to be higher, and Philadelphia's cost of living is higher than average. With that in mind, you'll need to figure out the best way to pay for nursing home care. As mentioned before, you should have long-term care insurance, which should cover the cost of a nursing home, or at least a portion of it. Make sure you look into a policy well before you make the decision to move your loved one to the nursing home because some of them have time restrictions on them. If the insurance is not an option, you can also look into Medicare and Medicaid, but they have their own set of restrictions, so it's better to start early and prepare.

Deciding that a nursing home is the next step for a loved one is not an easy choice to make. Begin your search by researching nursing homes online. Be prepared to ask questions about the facility and how it treats its residents. You must be comfortable with the facility, and so should your loved one. Be sure that you choose a place that meets all of your requirements, and that includes outdoor activities for its residents. Philadelphia has scenic nature views, historical sites to see, and plenty of things for people to do, so a good nursing home should offer a variety of activities.