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Choosing a nursing home or rehab facility can happen fast—and families are often handed a short list and told to “pick one.” In this episode of Bench to Bold, we sit down with Erin Stuckey, a South Carolina attorney who has seen this system from both sides: she previously defended hospitals and nursing homes in malpractice cases, and now represents patients and families when negligence occurs.

Erin shares practical, empowering guidance to help you make informed decisions before placement, ask the right questions during tours, and advocate for your loved one after admission. We talk staffing ratios, preventable falls, pressure injuries, readmission rates, wound care concerns, care plan meetings, and why “being visible” as a family member can truly make a difference.

If you have aging parents, a loved one heading to rehab after a hospitalization, or you simply want to be prepared before a crisis hits—this is your checklist episode.

Key topics we cover:

• How families can research facilities using Medicare’s Care Compare website (star ratings, staffing, inspections, quality measures)
• What to look for during an in-person facility tour (and why your gut matters)
• The most important questions to ask: staffing ratios, physician coverage, transport, rehab expectations, and care planning
• Preventable risks like falls, pressure ulcers, infections, and wound complications
• How to advocate effectively without being confrontational (and why showing up at varied times helps)
• Planning ahead: healthcare power of attorney, advance directives, and hard conversations before urgency

🎧 Listen and share this episode with anyone caring for an aging loved one—it could prevent heartbreak later.