Nursing Expert Offers Tips for Finding the Best Long-Term Care

MU researcher’s guidebook receives a 2009 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year award

January 13th, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. – America’s 77 million aging baby boomers and their families face decisions about their long-term care needs as they age in the new decade. A new book co-authored by Marilyn Rantz, an eldercare expert at the University of Missouri, explains how consumers can find the best eldercare options in their communities. The book recently received a 2009 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year award for consumer health.

“Making the right choice for long-term care often is a difficult and discouraging task for older adults and their families and friends,” said Rantz, professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “Consumers often are perplexed by the maze of options and the difficulties with finding the right services. This guide will make choosing long-term care much easier.”

The book, “How to Find the Best Eldercare,” includes:

– Question-and-answer sections to determine the level of care needed

– Practical information about paying for eldercare

– What to look for and questions to ask when visiting eldercare facilities

– A state-by-state listing of aging agencies and eldercare Web sites

The book is based on the authors’ more than three decades of experience and original research of quality of care and life issues in long-term care facilities. The authors worked with residents, families and staff members of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to develop walk-through guides and questionnaires to help consumers assess quality and to make good decisions about just what eldercare services are right.

“This award is one of the most prestigious in nursing; it helps consumers know that this work is representative of the best in the country to help them make the best decisions for themselves or loved ones,” Rantz said. “The AJN Book of the Year award also conveys to health care providers that this is an excellent resource for them to use as they guide elders and families who are making decisions about elder housing, in-home care services and long-term care, including assisted living or nursing homes.”

For more information, visit: http://www.nursinghomehelp.org/nhbook2.html. To preview and purchase the book on Amazon.com, visit: http://tinyurl.com/n9z42l