Home away from home

It’s a major concern of caregivers that our loved ones be given proper care. But there are times we ourselves do not have expertise or resources to administer this level of care, and there is need for a third party to get involved. Trust becomes paramount as we are plagued with questions about how our loved ones would fare in the hands of this third party. The often negative reports we receive concerning the third party, which in this case are health facilities, does nothing to lessen our fears. But still we are in need of these facilities, so we must be smart in making a decision. Here are lists of online resources that helps caregivers in their decision making about the right health facility to choose for a loved one.

US News

This online resource ranks nursing homes by states, let’s you browse the best nursing homes near you, and provides guides on how to choose a nursing home, how to cover the cost, and how to guarantee good care. With quick to read tips such as 7 Red Flags to Watch for When Choosing a Nursing Home and 9 Warning Signs of Bad Care, US News is a good place to start your search for a trustworthy healthcare facility. Its reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers, also makes it a very reliable source. In addition to ranking nursing homes, it also ranks hospitals, healthcare plans, and diets. Helping you find doctors by name, specialty, state, city and or zip code are also included in the service it provides. With answers to FAQs about how health facilities are rated, US news helps one make an informed decision about choosing a healthcare facility.

Health Grove

This is a good place to start your search, whether you need lots of information or just quick information. For mental health facilities, you can begin your search with  information on how to find mental  health facilities, and type of care, such as inpatient, outpatient, residential and administrative only. Other information provided includes the types of disorder treated in these mental health facilities,  and what to watch for in choosing a mental health facility. You can also compare mental health facilities and get information on age and payment accepted, special programs, and payment assistance.  Other resources includes a list of facilities and clinics  for specific cares such as cancer, eating disorder, dialysis, substance abuse, elder care etc. With plenty of relevant information that helps one choose the right health facility, Health Grove truly stays true to it’s tagline “Research with confidence”.

Health Grades

With the stated goal of making information on physicians and hospitals more accessible and transparent, Health Grades is all about finding the right doctor, hospital and care for people. It let’s you search for specialist by condition, procedure and specialty. Based on the particular health condition, resources on how to prepare for a doctor visits, what to expect and more are provided,  it also provides treatments and coping tips. Additionally you can take an online health test on behalf of your loved one based on the condition and symptom they have.

With lots of information to guide your decision making, you can breathe easy when choosing a health facility and or doctor for your loved one. Any of these three online resources is a good place to start your research.