Well it is important to know that there are good and bad nursing homes and if you are planning on going into or putting a loved one into one it is important to look at and rate the facility among others. Talk with people that have loved ones in the home or the patients in the home themselves, professionals like doctors social workers and nurses, and or you can also review state survey inspections posted in each facility as required by federal law. The best thing to do is to visit and look at the patients already there and the conditions they are in. Do they look happy, is there any foul odors, how does the staff interact with the individuals, what is the quality of food, are there plenty of activities to do, is the place clean and have proper working equipment? There are all kinds of things to look at when selecting a nursing home and it is important to do your homework before choosing one because they are all not the same quality.