Family Resources

How to Choose a Nursing Home

Nursing home is still the most commonly used term for skilled nursing care centers, but our skilled nursing center is so much more than a nursing home. We are proud to offer a homelike setting for recuperating after illness or injury with life-enriching opportunities for those needing long-term custodial care.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs’ online publication “A Bridge to Quality Care: Selecting a Nursing or Rest Home” discusses when long term care may be the appropriate care setting, the difference between a nursing home and assisted living, strategies for comparing nursing homes, how to pay for skilled care, and other important information when choosing a nursing home for yourself or a loved one.

Nursing Home Comparison Checklist

When choosing skilled care for yourself or a loved one, be sure to compare clinical capabilities, staffing levels, customer satisfaction, and impartial third party evaluations.

Medicare’s Nursing Home Checklist is a handy printable checklist for evaluating nursing homes. You can also learn about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home using Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare search tool.

We’re Here to Help

We are proud to offer families a range of healthcare services, and we are always here to assist with any advice and support. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about short-term rehab, long-term care, specialized skilled nursing, respite stays, or hospice care.

Useful Websites for Researching Nursing Homes and Skilled Care

When researching care options, these websites may provide useful online resources:

American Health Care Association

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations, together representing more than 11,000 non-profit and for-profit nursing facility, assisted living, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for approximately one million elderly and disabled individuals each day.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs is a resource for seniors, their families and caregivers. Get answers to questions and learn about available services and opportunities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Senior Care Association

The Massachusetts Senior Care Association is the state’s largest association of long-term care providers, representing more than 500 nursing and residential care facilities, hospital-based transitional care units, assisted living residences and retirement communities.

Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world leader in Alzheimer’s care, research and support. Through a national network of advocates and chapters, it advances research, improves services and care, creates awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and mobilizes support.

CareConversations.org

An initiative led by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, this site guides families through the care planning process.

Division of Medical Assistance

The Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) is the single state agency in Massachusetts that administers Medicaid (Title XIX) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), part of Title XXI. In Massachusetts, Medicaid and CHIP are combined into one program called MassHealth. DMA also manages the Insurance Partnership for small businesses.

Medicare.gov

Medicare.gov is the official U.S. government website for people with Medicare. It provides access to information about Medicare, Medicare health and prescription drug plans and long-term care. The site includes search tools to help you find and compare a wide variety of healthcare providers.

Integritus Healthcare 

We are proud to be part of Integritus Healthcare, a not-for-profit midsize healthcare, senior care, and senior living company. Integritus Healthcare owns or operates 15 rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts; Linda Manor Assisted Living, a traditional assisted living and specialized memory care community in Leeds, Mass.; Day Brook Village Senior Living, a continuing care retirement community in Holyoke, Mass.; East Longmeadow Memory Care Assisted Living, a memory care assisted living community in East Longmeadow, Mass.; Kimball Farms, a life care, continuing care retirement community in Lenox, Mass.; and two hospice providers, HospiceCare in The Berkshires and Pioneer Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, for those with life-limiting illnesses.

Contact us to learn more about skilled nursing care at Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center in Lenox, MA.