Quick Summary

Here’s a summary of how families can approach one of the most difficult decisions they may face — choosing a nursing home for someone they love.

Nursing homes are long-term care communities where someone receives daily assistance with medical care, memory care, or personal needs when living independently is no longer safe. These decisions often happen quickly, during a health crisis or after the loss of a caregiver. Knowing what to look for ahead of time can make the process less overwhelming and help families make better choices.

Why This Matters

Many families assume that ratings, appearances, or marketing materials will tell them everything they need to know about a nursing home. In reality, choosing a nursing home requires looking deeper.

Nursing homes are monitored by federal regulators, and government rating systems can provide useful information about staffing levels, ownership, and inspection history. But ratings alone rarely tell the whole story. They can help rule out poor options, but they don’t always identify the best ones.

When visiting a community, the most important clues often come from simple observation.

Listen first. Are call bells ringing for long periods? Do residents seem ignored? Is the environment calm or chaotic?

Then watch how staff interact with residents. Are people treated respectfully? Do caregivers make eye contact? Do staff seem rushed or attentive?

Small moments often reveal the true culture of a community.

Staffing is one of the most important factors to evaluate (see this article about nursing home staffing and recent regulatory changes). Even small differences in staff-to-resident ratios can affect whether residents receive help with meals, bathing, mobility, and safety. Continuity also matters — communities that retain staff longer often provide more consistent care.

When choosing communities short of the nursing home (for example, assisted living communities, adult foster care homes, or memory care housing), families should also think beyond immediate needs. Many residents begin by paying privately but later rely on Medicaid. Most — but not all — nursing homes accept Medicaid residents, and some limit the number of available beds. Understanding these policies ahead of time can prevent difficult transitions later.

The key is to balance data with personal observation. Visit more than once if possible — including evenings or weekends — when staffing patterns may be different.

Planning ahead makes these decisions far less stressful than trying to make them during a crisis.

For a good start, you can find nursing home ratings on Medicare’s website here, and there’s also a recent article from U.S. News and World Report rating what they believe are the best nursing homes in Michigan.

Simple Lesson

The best long-term care decisions are made before they are urgently needed, and they involve both online research and in-person visits to ensure that what you read online also passes the eye test.

Action Step

Have a conversation with your family about long-term care preferences and begin identifying communities in your area before a health emergency occurs.

NOTE:  This article is specific to 24/7 nursing homes — if a loved one is in need of care short of a nursing home (which usually means private pay), I highly recommend you speak with a local placement person (not the national ones) like Julie Haskins-White at Creative Elder Care Consultants.  Julie and her team are a wealth of knowledge and will immediately put you at ease and help you move in the right direction.

If you’d like to talk about your estate plan or long-term care planning, we’re always happy to help.  Call us at (517) 548-7400 or reach out here: https://www.michiganestateplans.com/contact-us