Choosing a Nursing Home

I've been lucky. I found a good nursing home for my mother when she was suffering from confusion. But it was a matter of trial and error. The first one was a horrible experience. After six months, I took her out and hired help for her so that she could live in her own apartment. But eventually, I had to go nursing home hunting again. I found a much better one with a caring staff the second time around. My mother-in-law is also in a really nice home with a good staff that seems to stay in good spirits and actively interacts with the patients.

Jane Brody wrote last week about what makes a good nursing homes in her column in the New York Times. It is an article worth reading if you are facing choosing a home for a loved one. Here is the link and a synopsis. If you work in a home or have a loved one in a home, it's even more important to read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06brod.html

Personal Health

Nursing Homes That Belie the Bad Image

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: October 6, 2009

A facility in Miami could serve as a model for others across the nation.

Walking to Stay Healthy

Want to stay healthy? What to stay out of a nursing home? Here is an organization in Santa Cruz, California, that helps people over 50 achieve those goals through walking, hiking and social games. It's called the Redwood Fitness Alliance.

http://www.redwoodsfitnessalliance.org/

They are affiliated with the Lifelong Fitness Alliance program, based on from research by the Prevention Research Center at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Check it out.

I think I may try to start a program like this in Darien, CT, where I live.