Selecting a long-term care facility for a loved one requires careful thought, deliberate planning and thorough research.

“I think, when I get a phone call from someone, the biggest thing is that it’s not an easy decision,” says Kim Richardson, lead admissions consultant for Nursing Consultants Inc. “They need to know that planning and researching, if they’ve got that ability, is probably the best thing they can do.”

Here are five things to consider when planning your choice for a long-term care facility:

1. Needs and Preferences

First and foremost, consider the needs of the person requiring care.

Sit down with your loved one and family members to discuss what things are most important to the individual’s care and happiness.

“Do they want a quiet, smaller facility?” Richardson says. “Do they want a larger facility with more activities? Do they need memory care or might they need memory care in the future? Or are they needing hospice? … Needs and preferences is where I like to start with a family.”

2. Location, Location, Location

Take into account a facility’s accessibility and its proximity to friends and loved ones who will continue to play a prominent role or want to be nearby in case of emergencies. A great kitchen or activity room may mean nothing if the grandchildren are too far away to visit.

“So if I’m speaking with a family I’m urging them to research the options that are in their circle of travel,” Richardson says.

Begin by looking in that radius, Richardson said, and modify your search if you have to. Maybe you’ll want a centralized location that meets established needs and preferences.

3. Narrow the Focus

Keep an eye on the options most important to the person needing care. If a facility meets the primary needs you’ve identified, then you can factor in its additional qualities.

“[Consider] not just all the options. Narrow it down. Pare down the options that would be best for your family,” Richardson says.

4. Firsthand Knowledge

Talk to trusted people who have had loved ones in a skilled facility. It never hurts to pick someone’s brain for advice about the process or input about a location.

“A lot of the people that I talk to on any given day, most of them have encountered someone that’s been in a facility and they know something about it and they’ve gotten a good report,” Richardson says.

Richardson recommends visiting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website and using its facilities comparison tool, which includes star ratings.

5. Take a Tour

It’s difficult, but not impossible, to see for oneself during the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. While safety precautions are of utmost importance in long-term or assisted living facilities, there are ways to lay eyes on a place.

“Perhaps ask the facility for a window tour of rooms. The dining room. The therapy gym,” Richardson says. “A lot of facilities have websites that will have a virtual tour. And lastly you can always request something like a FaceTime tour of the facility and the rooms.”

Sponsored by Nursing Consultants Inc.