Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Download the South Carolina Nursing Home Guide. PDF

Find out about the South Carolina nursing homes in your area.  

To find out about the nursing homes in your area:

• Ask people you trust, like your doctor, family, friends, neighbors, or clergy if they have had personal experience with nursing homes. They may be able to give you the name of a nursing home where they had a good experience.

• Call your Area Agency on Aging. Their telephone number should be listed in your local telephone directory. This agency can give you information about the nursing homes in your area. You can get the telephone number of your local Area Agency on Aging by looking at www.aoa.gov on the web. Select “About AoA and the Aging Network.” Then select “Area Agencies on Aging.”

·        Talk to a placement specialist free of charge who has an extensive background on local South Carolina nursing homes and can take you through the steps and give you quality feedback on what your options are. 

    Go to http://www.southcarolinanursinghome.org

Find out how South Carolina nursing homes compare in quality. Quality care means doing the right thing, at the right time, in the Make an appointment with the nursing home before you visit.

• Take a formal tour with a nursing home staff member.

• Ask questions during your tour, including questions about the quality measures from “Nursing Home Compare,” at www.medicare.gov on the web.

• Look around to get a better picture of the services, activities, and quality of care and life for the residents.

Visit Again:

• Revisit the nursing home a second time, on a different day and at a different time of the day than when you first visited. Staffing can be different at different times of the day, and on weekends.

• Try to visit during the late morning or midday. This allows you to see the residents when they are out of bed, eating, and going to activities.

Go to Council Meetings:

• Ask a nursing home staff member if you can get permission from the resident’s or family council’s participants to attend a meeting of the nursing homes’ resident council and/or family council meeting. These councils are usually organized and managed by the resident's families to improve the quality of care and life for the residents and address concerns.

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Visit the South Carolina nursing homes you are interested in, or have someone visit for you.

Ask Questions

For example:

■ Is the nursing home certified by Medicare and Medicaid?

■ Is there a bed available? (Is there a waiting list?)

■ Is the nursing home easy to visit for family and friends?

■ Ask to see a copy of the nursing home's most recent inspection report. If any deficiencies were found, ask if they have been corrected and ask to see the plan correction.

Ask about Satisfaction:

• Talk to staff, residents, and family members if you can. Ask them if they are satisfied with the nursing home and its services.

Other Questions:

• Write down any questions you still have about the nursing home or how the nursing home will meet your needs.

Guide to Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Visit the South Carolina nursing homes you are interested in, or have someone visit for you.

Ask Questions

Other Questions:

• Ask the staff about the quality information from “Nursing Home Compare,” at www.medicare.gov on the web. This may help you compare nursing homes.

• Ask the staff to explain anything you see and hear that you don't understand. For example, a person may be calling out. It may be because they are confused, not because they are being hurt or neglected. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Don't go into resident rooms or care areas without checking with the resident and nursing home staff first. Residents have a right to privacy.

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Choose the South Carolina nursing home that best meets your needs.

When you have all the information about the nursing homes you are interested in, discuss it with your family, friends, doctor, clergy, spiritual advisor, or social worker. Talk with people who understand your personal and health care needs. They can help you make a choice that best meets your needs.

If you are helping someone who is about to go into a nursing home, get him or her involved in making the decision as much as possible. People who are involved from the beginning are better prepared when they move into a nursing home. If the person you are helping is not alert or able to communicate well, keep his or her values and preferences in mind. Finding a nursing home that has the right services, and a pleasant comfortable atmosphere, often requires a lot of planning.

If you find more than one nursing home you like with a bed available, use all the information you get to compare them. Trust your senses. If you don't like what you see on a visit, if the facility isn't clean, or if you weren't comfortable talking to the nursing home staff, you may want to choose another nursing home. If you feel that the residents are treated well, the facility is clean, and the staff is helpful, you might feel better about your decision. Remember that the appearance of a nursing home is not as important as the quality of care and life, and a friendly, caring atmosphere.

Important: If you visit a nursing home that you don’t like, you don’t have to choose to go there. Making a good choice for quality care is important. If you are in a hospital, talk to the hospital discharge planner or your doctor before you decide not to go to a nursing home that has an available bed. They may be able to help you find a more suitable nursing home, or arrange for other care, like short-term home care, until a bed is available at another nursing home you choose. You may be billed for any additional days you stay in the hospital.

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Choose the South Carolina nursing home that best meets your needs.

 Important:             

Moving is difficult, so try not to move more than once. However, an extra move may be better for you than choosing to go to a facility that is not right for you. Be sure to explain to your doctor or discharge planner why you are not happy with a facility they may be recommending.

Once in the nursing home, if you find that you don't like the nursing home you chose, you can move to another facility with an available bed. The nursing home you leave may require that you let them know ahead of time that you are planning to leave. Talk to the nursing home staff about their rules for leaving. If you don't follow the rules for leaving, you may have to pay extra fees.

Some important things to think about when making your choice:

Each nursing home is different. Spend time with your family thinking about what is important to you. The list below can help you see how nursing homes may vary.

Quality of Life: Does the staff treat residents in a respectful way? Are there a variety of social, recreational, religious, or cultural activities? Do the residents have choices over their schedule and living space? Do the residents have privacy for visits or personal care?

Quality of Care: Are there enough staff? Are residents getting the care they need? Can residents still see their personal doctors? Does the nursing home have any quality of care deficiencies? What did the quality information at www.medicare.gov on “Nursing Home Compare’s" show about this nursing home?

Location: Is the South Carolina nursing home close to family and friends so they can visit often? Frequent visits are the best way to make sure that you or your loved one does well in the nursing home. Having visitors can make the transition to the nursing home easier for you and your family. Visitors can also help support you or act on your behalf by bringing concerns to the nursing home’s resident council and/or family council.

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Choose the South Carolina nursing home that best meets your needs.

Some important things to think about when making your choice:

Availability: Is a bed available now, or can you add your name to a waiting list? Remember, nursing homes do not have to accept all applicants, but they must comply with Civil Rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, age, or religion under certain conditions.

Staffing: Do the Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) work with a reasonable number of residents on the day shift? Is there a doctor available? Are therapy staff available?

Religious and Cultural Preferences: Does the nursing home offer the religious or cultural support you need? Do they provide any special diet your faith practice requires?

Language: Is your primary language spoken at the nursing home by staff or residents? Being able to communicate with others is important.

Policies: Policies are rules that all residents must follow. They may be different in each nursing home. Are you comfortable with the policies? For example, smoking may not be allowed or may be restricted to certain areas of the nursing home.

Services and Fees: Does the nursing home have the services you need? Nursing homes must tell you in writing about their services, charges, and fees before you move into the home. Get a copy of the fee schedule to find out which services are available, which are included in your monthly fee, and which services cost extra. Then you can compare the costs of different nursing homes.

Security: Does the nursing home provide a safe environment? Is there a guard at the door? Is the nursing home locked at night? Are there special “Wander Guards” to help keep residents who may become confused in the facility?

Choosing a South Carolina Nursing Home

Choose the South Carolina nursing home that best meets your needs.

Some important things to think about when making your choice:

Preventive Care: Does the nursing home make sure that residents get preventive care to help keep them healthy? Does the nursing home have a screening program for immunizations such as Flu (influenza) and pneumonia?

Hospitals: Does the nursing home have an arrangement with a nearby hospital for emergencies? Can your doctor care for you at that hospital?

Accredited (accreditation): Is the nursing home accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)? Being accredited is like having a “seal of approval.” It means the nursing home meets certain standards for care that JCAHO sets. You can find information on accreditation of nursing homes in your area at www.jcaho.org on the web. Select “Quality Check.”  

Licensed: Are the nursing home and current administrator required to be licensed in your State? If so, are they? This means that they have met certain standards set by a State or local government agency.

 Certified (certification): If you are getting skilled care, and Medicare or Medicaid are paying for your care, make sure the nursing home is Medicare- and Medicaid certified. This means the nursing home has passed an inspection survey done by a State government agency. Medicare and Medicaid will only pay for care in a certified nursing home. Being certified is not the same as being accredited. Also, some nursing homes set aside only a few beds for Medicare or Medicaid residents.

Go To www.SouthCarolinaNursingHome.org to get free advice on your senior care options and a free care assessment. They are friendly, professional and most helpful!