If the time has come to start thinking about helping your parents move into a nursing home, it's beneficial to begin the process early. Doing so gives you and your parents an opportunity to visit multiple facilities to evaluate the accommodations and services that they offer and see which home best suits your parents' needs. Your presence during this time can help your parents feeling overwhelmed as you'll be able to lead the discussion and make sure that several key subjects are discussed. While you'll have a lengthy things of things to talk about, you can help decide which home will best suit your parents by asking about these three topics and evaluating the answers.

Nutrition

Nutrition is a broad topic that is worthwhile to discuss with the nursing home employee leading you on your tour. For elderly residents, nutrition is vitally important. You want to be sure that the food served at the facility is healthy and that the kitchen staff can accommodate any dietary needs that your parents might have. Weight loss is often a concern for people as they age, so it's valuable to ensure that the facility has a nutritionist on staff – or arranges for one to visit at regular intervals – to assess residents' weight loss and ensure they're making the best dietary choices for their health.

Fall Prevention

While your parents might have a high degree of stability right now, the reality is that there's a chance that they'll become uneasy on their feet as they continue to age. It's important to talk about the steps that the home has taken to prevent the risk of falls. You want to hear about the availability of railings in every corridor, handles in showers and ramps, rather than stairs, throughout the facility. In the event of a fall, ask how the center's staff handles recovery. When a hospital visit isn't warranted, assess whether there's a nurse on staff who is trained to handle fall cases.

Community Outings

It's ideal for nursing home residents to get the opportunity to visit sites around the local community. When residents can no longer drive, you should look for the home to provide regular outings. If you don't know the immediate community well, ask about the surrounding attractions and the frequency of trips. For example, many senior living facilities arrange visits to local malls, libraries, museums, and even casinos to help the residents enjoy seeing new sights on a regular basis.