Home or Nursing Home: Making the Right Choices

One of the most difficult choices many people will have to make in their lives is whether to care for an elderly parent at home or place them in a nursing home. In this updated second edition, the authors explore the pros and cons of both choices. They debunk erroneous beliefs about home care vs. nursing home care, including cultural biases against placing loved ones in a nursing home. A home-or-nursing-home quiz to aid family members in the decision-making process is included. Once the decision is made, this book offers chapters on how to select a nursing home, nursing home resources and associations to contact, and reports from nursing home residents and their families on life after placement.

Based upon interviews conducted with health care professionals, family members, and the elderly themselves, this text examines some myths about the placement of elderly persons in nursing homes. Gerontologist Salamon and freelance writer Rosenthal describe a range of care options, from home care to private physicians to outpatient clinics to skilled-nursing facilities and analyze the reasons behind various choices. A quiz designed to help families to select among care options is also included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Marcia K Flesner, PhD, RN, MHCA (University of Missouri-Columbia)
Description: This book is written for healthcare professionals to assist families in making the decision whether a patient can stay at home and receive medical care or should be admitted to a nursing home. The public can also use the book as the text is easy to read and succinct.
Purpose: The purpose is to assist healthcare professionals to help families make decisions about how to deliver care to elderly relatives. The objectives are worthy as this is a crucial decision and the this population continues to grow. The authors meet their objectives through case studies and practical questions for readers to answer when attempting to make the decision.
Audience: Although written for doctors, nurses, counselors, and social workers, the book could also be useful for consumers. Both authors appear to be credible.
Features: The book discusses the healthcare needs of the elderly and dispels myths about aging. One author reports on research of the use of the Life Satisfaction Scale with people over age 60 from six health care settings. Participants in nursing homes had the highest overall average scores, revealing the benefits of nursing homes. The reader is offered guidelines for use when selecting a nursing home and information about resources available in the 50 states.
Assessment: The book would be useful for entry level healthcare professionals and consumers. The quiz offered to evaluate whether to provide care at home or in a nursing home would be helpful for families.

Michael J. Salamon, PhD, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Gerontological Society of America, has been involved in the field of adult development for over 25 years. Dr. Salamon has worked in both community and institutional settings as an administrator, clinician, research, and educator. He has published extensively and is the author of the text, A Basic Guide to Working with Elders, and is the senior author of the Salamon-Conte Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale. Dr. Salamon serves as the executive director of the Adult Developmental Center of Hewlett, New York, a private organization that he helped establish. Through his work with the Adult Developmental Center, Dr. Salamon has been a consultant to a variety of professional groups in the United States and abroad. He has served as professional advisor to a number of radio and television shows. He has also served on the executive board of Psychologists in Long-Term Care, and is on the editorial board of Clinical Gerontologist.

Gloria Rosenthal, author of four nonfiction books, contributes regularly to Lupus Chronicle online, and writes extensively for a variety of national publications, including medical, women's and general-interest magazines, in which she covers such diverse topics as health, disabilities, child care, and theater. She has made numerous television appearances in connection with her books and articles, and she presents seminars on language and written communication through her company, World of Words.