What nursing home do I choose?
Posted By James Roane on May 6, 2010 5:28pm PDT
In a nutshell, avoid the nursing home chains. I have been handling nursing home cases for around seven years. I have litigated maybe around fifty of these cases, tried many to jury trials and arbitrated cases. You can look at my website for more information. The one thing that I have learned is that chains typically provide the worst care. Let me say it like this, at least ninety-percent of the nursing cases that I have litigated have been against nursing home chains. I have never sued a "mom and pop" facility. I have never even seen a meritorious case against a private pay facility. I have given speeches to nursing home operators, administrators and risk managers. I have always told them that private pay homes get old people too, how is it that they don't die from stage IV pressures sores? Money. Money is the answer as to why. So, if you are looking at nursing homes, if you can afford it go private pay. If you can't afford private pay, go with a church based group or a individually owned home. In my area, Clapp's Nursing Home consistently delivers good care. Clapp's takes Medicaid patients like the chains, but the facility is owned by people who live around here. It is much harder to deliver bad care when you have to live with the families you care for.