Nursing Homes must meet certain Federal and State guidelines in order to receive money and keep their accreditation. Investigators periodically go to the facilities to ensure compliance. A recent New York Times article suggests that even these 'professional' nursing home investigators miss obvious safety violations.

According to the Mr. Morris, one of the studies sponsors, even some of the most obvious problems with nursing home residents went unnoticed.  "We’ve found patients with maggot infestations in wounds and dead flesh. We’ve found residents with broken bones that went unmended.”

This article raises the question: what can you do to assure your family member is in a satisfactory facility? Here are several basic things to look for when selecting a nursing home:

• Make multiple unannounced visits at different times
• Look at the residents, do they seem happy?
• Ask friends about the facility
• Does the staff know the residents by their names?

Medicare set forth a check-list for selection of a nursing home or long-term care facility.  You can view the Medicare suggested check list here.