101 Good Things Nursing Homes Do

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Give families peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are getting round-the-clock attention

Help Alzheimer’s patients remain active by designing specially equipped wings

Each day, in communities throughout the state, nursing homes care for more than 35,000 elderly and disabled Tennesseans. But the things they do are for all of us. Studies show that everyone will be involved in long-term care at some point in their lives, either as a patient or as the family member or friend of someone who needs a nursing home.

Provide more than 30,000 jobs in communities throughout Tennessee

Nursing facilities are a place for those who need therapy or round-the-clock assistance with the activities of daily living. They’re a community resource, and a place to build a career in health care. But, most of all, they’re a place to call home.

Give hugs daily

“101 Good Things” is a list of the many worthwhile things nursing homes do. It includes many technical and medical treatments, services such as therapy or dietetics and examples of how nursing homes meet emotional and social needs, but this list is by no means comprehensive. It’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

There are many “good things” that are unique to each long-term care facility. If you would like  contact information for a nursing home near you to learn the unique “good things” offered there, click here.

Improve range of motion through therapeutic exercise programs

Treat the whole person, not just an acute medical need

Click here to order a 60-page Guide to Long-Term Care in Tennessee.

• Protect privacy and dignity • Promote good health with flu and pneumonia immunizations • Pick up and deliver mail – just like having your own community post office • Teach bladder control exercises that can boost confidence and independence • Offer help at the press of a button • Keep patients safe in a secured, monitored environment • Develop a comprehensive and individualized plan of care for each patient that is reviewed and modified at least every 90 days • Monitor patients around the clock and make routine medical assessments including breathing, skin coloring and behavior changes • Help families adjust to their loved one’s illness • Stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technology in health care • Follow physician-prescribed therapeutic diets• Treat slow-to-heal wounds with special techniques and state-of-the-art equipment • Assess skin problems early and identify what treatments will work, all in an effort to avoid complications and catch disease at an early stage • Work with consulting pharmacists who use computerized systems to monitor drug interactions • Encourage patients to achieve the highest possible level of independence • Provide round-the-clock care for more than 35,000 patients • Work with major motor skills to improve walking and balance • Work with finer motor skills to help patients with things like brushing hair, buttoning shirts or using forks • Provide information to the community about long-term care • Develop care plans with an interdisciplinary team, in full consultation with the patient and family • Keep patients active and alert with programs developed by a trained activity coordinator • Schedule regular church services and host clergy visits for patients and families from diverse religious backgrounds • Design a care plan that helps avoid the need for physical or chemical restraints • Keep rooms, hallways and common areas clean, attractive and safe • Establish goals for returning patients to more active lifestyles • Take a holistic approach to patients’ overall well-being • Ensure fire safety through building design techniques, sprinkler systems and drills • Have someone available to talk to, anytime, day or night • Keep EKG and other special equipment close by for medical emergencies • Design and follow up on a post-discharge plan of care for patients who return home • Ensure that everyone maintains a voice in government with on-site and absentee voting • Organize intergenerational programs to help patients stay in touch with the younger generation • Make dialysis available at bedside, meaning fewer trips to the hospital • Schedule art classes to stimulate creativity and allow patients to use their hands • Meet ethnic or religious dining needs • Make careers in long-term care possible through continuing education scholarships • Greet patients every morning with a refreshing, warm, wash cloth • Prepare for emergencies with backup generators and other safeguards • Keep patients’ clothes clean and fresh with on-site laundry services • Assess and correct eating problems that can lead to weight loss or other medical problems • Participate in continuing education programs • Provide safe transportation for patients with medical appointments • Share with families step-by-step information on how the patient will be cared for • Provide individualized care for patients who need help with, on average, at least three of the five activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, speech/communication and toileting) • Administer and monitor IVs with the confidence, safety and assurance of licensed staff • Recruit and train staff members truly dedicated to long-term care • Plan comprehensively to be ready for emergencies and natural disasters • Offer counseling and guidance on advance directives and living wills • Promote dignity and reduce embarrassment in the 62 percent of patients who are incontinent with extra attention to their needs • Help accident victims resume a normal lifestyle as soon as possible through advanced therapy techniques • Take appropriate precautions when necessary to prevent the spread of disease • Help the 25 percent of patients who need assistance with eating • Offer peace of mind for families when keeping a loved one at home is no longer an option • Make dining and activity rooms available for socializing and special events • Make the surroundings as homelike as possible with plants, pets, textures and colors • Identify patients at risk for accidents and/or falls and use procedures and special equipment to prevent injuries • Consult with physicians at least every 60 days on each patient’s progress • Require at least 75 hours of certification training for nursing assistants to ensure high quality care • Assist patients with bathing and grooming to help them look and feel good • Offer on-site x-rays and medical lab services • Give on-staff social workers the tools they need to act as advocates for both patients and families • Serve more than 40 million nutritious meals annually • Employ secure systems that safeguard medications and ensure proper use • Administer and monitor tube feeding devices, as ordered by the doctor, for patients whose conditions make oral feeding impossible • Help families stay involved through planned get-togethers and community happenings • Provide nutritional supplements • Work to reduce drug dependency and, in consultation with a doctor, constantly reassess medication benefits for each patient • Use special eating tools and daily progress reports to help patients with eating problems • Provide routine foot care through podiatrist visits to keep patients active • Offer a close-to-home health care choice • Push wheelchairs around the grounds to make sure everyone enjoys a little stroll • Welcome volunteers of every age to help with special programs and just to let patients know that they have friends • Take into account each patient’s dietary needs and preferences with menus planned by a certified dietitian • Employ the latest techniques for treating diabetes and offer sugar-free alternative snacks • Help stroke victims re-learn speech and communication skills through speech therapy • Deliver oxygen therapy with comfort and safety in mind • Use techniques like reminiscence therapy to help Alzheimer’s patients hang on to memories • Provide nutritious and healthy snacks • Open facility doors to the community by making therapy, specialized equipment and other resources available • Help families navigate the mazes of Medicaid and Medicare • Send stroke victims home after providing rehabilitative care through physical, speech and occupational therapy • Restore free breathing with medication and other treatments under the care of a respiratory therapist • Assure that patients receive adequate amounts of fluid to prevent dehydration and maintain good health • Use pressure-reducing mattresses, special pillows and other implements to avoid complications for patients who have to stay in bed • Employ the latest in medical equipment for patients with special needs • Place handrails on all hallways to make it easier to take a walk • Provide routine dental care through regular dentist visits • Make sure hearing aids and eyeglasses are functioning as intended to keep patients independent and active • Mark special events like birthdays and holidays with parties and celebrations • Use techniques, equipment and TLC to make patients as comfortable as possible, reducing the need for medication • Make the services of beauticians and barbers available to keep patients looking  good • Arrange flexible visitation hours to make stopping by convenient for families and friends • Compete for state and national awards that recognize quality • Use experience, training and a caregiver’s insight to recognize pain in patients who can’t say where it hurts • Deliver The Right Care at the Right Time as a fundamental link in the continuum of long-term care