A few tips can help boost the odds of finding the best choice for quality care \u2014 and advocating for better care when necessary, she and others told Bridge Michigan.<\/p>\n
Step 1: Do some online sleuthing<\/p>\n
The US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers Nursing Home Compare<\/a>, an online tool, to help consumers find and compare nursing homes in their area. It offers consumers a look at health and safety inspection reports, quality measures and staffing. It also allows you to see if a facility has been cited for abuse and whether it has paid penalties when it fails to meet standards.<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n (CMS has produced this guide<\/a> to explain how the ratings are calculated and how to use them.)<\/p>\n But it\u2019s a far from perfect system. Some of the data is self-reported. Moreover, citations are often based on inspections that happen just once a year or after a complaint. And inspection reports are visible to the public for three years only.\u00a0<\/p>\n It also can be outdated information, but it can give you a picture\u00a0<\/p>\n For past reports, see the Nursing Home Inspect<\/a> page from the news outlet ProPublica.<\/p>\n The national nonprofit Long Term Care Community Coalition offers state-by-state data, notably about staffing, at NursingHome411.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Step 2: Drop by <\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve narrowed your search, it\u2019s important to visit. Consumer advocates recommend going unannounced.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing beats going into a facility, especially after hours,\u201d said Cindy Evertsen, a long term care ombudsman for Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if they say you can\u2019t visit after hours, that would be an automatic red flag for me. \u2018Why don\u2019t you want me there after hours? What are you doing when management isn\u2019t around? Are you short-staffed?\u2019\u201d Evertsen said.<\/p>\n Sara Gusler, ombudsman for Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, takes a different approach: \u201cI tell people to go during meal time.<\/p>\n \u201cNotice the dining room. Is everyone eating together, and are staff helping them?\u201d she said. \u201cIf there\u2019s 100 people in the facility, and only 10 are in the dining room, that\u2019s indicative of a problem with staffing; there\u2019s not enough of them. We are social, and we tend to want to eat together.\u201d<\/p>\n Residents, staff and guests mingled over a charcuterie board and fresh fruit at The Willows at East Lansing. The smell of fresh popcorn filled the air, as did live music.\u00a0<\/p>\n The key to good care is supporting staff so they develop relationships with residents, executive director Ellie Davis said.<\/p>\n It was something that Laura Taylor, sitting with her mother-in-law, a resident, said she notices each time she\u2019s here. She glanced around. One staff member was serving up apple cider from a drink cart, joking with residents at one table. One was helping a resident sway to music; another was flipping through a magazine with another resident.<\/p>\n \u201cThey seem to enjoy their jobs,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cThat makes all the difference, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally:\u00a0<\/p>\n Notice how you are greeted when you walk in. Are you welcomed, or ignored?<\/p>\n Ask about the facility\u2019s resident council<\/a> and if you can speak with one of its representatives.<\/p>\n Talk with staff, residents and other visitors.<\/p>\n Notice residents\u2019 grooming and the cleanliness of the facility.<\/p>\n Check out the activities list (and check later to see those activities occur, Evertsen said).<\/p>\n Pay attention to the response time for call lights.<\/p>\n When possible, choose a facility close to home and to friends and family who will visit and, if necessary, advocate on your behalf.<\/p>\n Notice the staff. Are they interacting with residents or scrolling social media?<\/p>\n Some suggest bringing the occasional treat for staff or stocking a resident\u2019s candy dish. It\u2019s a treat that thanks staff for their work, but serves as a gentle reminder, too, of your watchful eye.<\/p>\n Step 3: Speak up<\/p>\n Above all, it\u2019s important to advocate \u2014 whether you\u2019re a loved one or the resident.<\/p>\n Nursing homes are paid billions of dollars every year to provide quality care to residents, their consumers, said Eric Carlson, an attorney who leads advocacy efforts for long-term care at the Washington-based advocacy organization Justice in Aging<\/a>.<\/p>\n Carlson wrote a how-to consumers guide<\/a> for residents and their loved ones. In it, he dispels common myths about nursing homes and care.<\/p>\n For example: No, nursing homes can\u2019t force everyone out of bed at 6 a.m. just because it\u2019s easier for staff. And no, for the most part, they can\u2019t evict a resident.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are generally really hesitant,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cHow many hundreds or thousands of times have I heard something along the lines of \u2018I don\u2019t want to create any trouble,\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t want them to think poorly of me or my parents.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Be the squeaky wheel, said Carlson, whose book can be downloaded for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Step 4: Where to turn for help<\/p>\n Ombudsman: The Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program<\/a> is part of a federal network of consumer advocates. Help is free and confidential and available at 866-485-9393.\u00a0 A listing of local ombudsmen, searchable by county, can be found at this link here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Resident councils: Residents also may turn to each facility\u2019s resident councils<\/a>. By law, councils have the right to meet alone and run the meetings by themselves, but they also may be attended by a staff liaison or a local ombudsman. Others, including family members, may attend by invitation only.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some councils are stronger advocates than others. Some work more closely with facilities; others are more independent.<\/p>\n Formal complaints: Residents, family members, friends and nursing home employees all can file complaints about nursing home care with the Michigan Bureau of Survey and Certification<\/a>.<\/p>\n Complaints can be made anonymously at 800-882-6006 or at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n A serious complaint may be classified as \u201cimmediate jeopardy,\u201d and the state is required to investigate within two business days. Less serious complaints may take weeks or months to be addressed.<\/p>\n We want to hear from you<\/p>\n Bridge Michigan is writing about issues surrounding older residents of a state that\u2019s aging faster than most others.<\/p>\n What are the challenges ahead for you as you age or help care for an aging loved one?<\/p>\n What are the best programs out there?<\/p>\n How has your life changed as you move from career to retirement or family home to assisted living?<\/p>\n Or maybe you\u2019ve got an idea to help bridge the gaps in housing, transportation, health care and other services for older Michiganders. Drop us a line at rerb@bridgemi.com.<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Thank you to our Michigan Health Watch Sponsors<\/p>\n Michigan Health Watch is made possible by generous financial support from our sponsors.\u00a0Please visit the\u00a0About<\/a>\u00a0page for more information and to subscribe to Michigan Health Watch. Interested in becoming a sponsor?\u00a0Contact Emma Carr<\/a>.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"Live](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/09192025_WillowsNursingHome40_DY.jpg\")
When choosing long-term care, it\u2019s important to check out planned activities that can help keep loneliness at bay. The Willows at East Lansing has a long list of outings and in-house activities each month, including Happy Hour each Friday, with live music, mixed drinks, fresh fruits and veggies, and a charcuterie board for residents and their visitors. (Dale Young for Bridge Michigan)<\/p>\n
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