Nursing Homes:
What You Need to Know
Today, we live longer than our grandparents did, and our lives and health care systems are more complex. We have good reason to wonder how we will get the care we need if disability or illness strikes, and how we will pay for it. You can make better decisions by knowing ahead of time what your choices are, by learning what to expect and by carefully planning your finances. Far too often, decisions about our health care, especially about long-term and rehabilitative care, are made during a crisis. Regardless of the timing, you can and should evaluate various nursing homes and other long-term care providers to make the best decision. You don't have to be a professional or an expert. You just need reliable information.

This book is meant for anyone thinking about the possibility of needing nursing home care or long-term care in his or her own home. It should also prove helpful for friends and family members of individuals who may need long-term care.

Nursing homes are not your only option for rehabilitation, and long-term services and support. Chapter 9 discusses in-home alternatives to nursing home care.

Chapter 10 lists agencies and organizations that can help you make the right choice and get needed care.

When you finish this book, discuss it with your family. Talk about the financial implications of choosing a nursing home. Share with them your hopes - and worries - about the prospect of long-term care. But most importantly, let them know your wishes. You are the best person to decide your future. This book can help you take the first step toward peace of mind.

Click here to download the 2012 Revised Nursing Homes: What You Need to Know in PDF format. Or if you prefer, you may order a free printed copy of Nursing Homes: What You Need to Know by calling the Maryland Attorney General's Office at (410) 576-6500.

In addition to the advice found here, visit the Maryland Health Care Commission's Web site at www.mhcc.state.md.us for further advice and comparative data about each nursing home operating in Maryland.

The federal government also provides data on patient care at every nursing home in the U.S. at www.medicare.gov

NEED INFO ON ASSISTED LIVING? See Assisted Living: What You Need to Know at the Maryland Department of Aging's website at http://www.mdoa.state.md.us/documents/ALGuide_002.pdf.

This information is brought to you by a cooperative effort of:

• Maryland Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division
  

• Maryland State Bar Association
  

• University of Maryland School of Law, Law and Health Care Program
  

• Maryland Department of Aging
  

• Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
  

Maryland Attorney General home page
Consumer Protection Division Publications