Pros and Cons of Nursing Homes Verse Home Care

People tend to call our office only after something tragic has happened in a Virginia nursing home.  They often have a natural, but undeserved, sense of guilt for putting a loved one in a nursing home.  I always tell people that they had every right to expect quality care for their loved ones in a nursing home.  The nursing home contracts to provide quality care, by federal and state law they have an obligation to provide quality care, and they certainly have a moral obligation to do so. 

Yet, despite this it is a tough decision to place a loved one in a nursing home out an instinct to protect a family member from abuse and neglect and to respect their wishes.  Nursing homes are legally required to provide the highest level of care that can be practically provided.  In many cases it would be dangerous to provide home care because around the clock nursing care is required which family members are not trained or physically capable of providing.  There are no easy answers.  If you are in the process of deciding how to provide long term care for a loved one, here is a link to a great article, with video, on the pros and cons of nursing home care.

The best advice I can offer is to plan ahead if possible.  Research your options carefully and be realistic about the care you are capable of providing in a home setting.