“Our Advisors visit the skilled nursing facilities in the area on a regular basis to stay knowledgeable regarding their availability, pricing and staff turnover. We will be glad to speak with you and make recommendations on the best options for skilled care in the area.”
As care needs change for the aging seniors in our lives, skilled nursing facilities can represent a much-needed and viable option for those with either short-term rehabilitation needs or those with chronic, long term medical concerns. Case managers from local hospitals will typically set up a patient’s transfer to a skilled nursing location straight from the hospital if they feel that care needs such as occupational and physical therapy services will be met best there. Hopefully, after a short stay at the skilled facility, the patient will have gotten healthier and stronger with the assistance and monitoring from the care staff and can return home wherever they call home within a few, short weeks. Should the patient’s health not improve to the point where they can return home, skilled nursing facilities typically have options for long-term stays for patients as well.
Skilled nursing facilities provide levels of care 24 hours, seven days per week that meet the wide ranges of physical, psychological and medical needs that their patient’s present. A patient’s stay may be short or long-term depending on the diagnosis that the individual enters the facility with and how quickly they’re able to ultimately get stronger and heal.
What services/amenities are typically provided in skilled nursing settings?
- Shared bedrooms and bathrooms with emergency call systems in each room
- Around the clock security and nursing care
- Medication management, medical supplies and equipment
- Physical, Speech and Occupational therapy
- Nutritional counseling with meals in room or large dining room
- Access to social services and support programs from facility’s staff
- Social activities and wellness programs
- Transportation services to medical care outside the facility
- Availability to outside palliative, hospice and end-of-life care
What might signal the need for a Skilled Nursing Facility?
In most cases, a comprehensive health care assessment will need to be completed to determine if a person will need or qualify for admittance to a skilled nursing facility. Case managers in hospitals complete these assessments when considering a discharge date for the patient in a hospital setting or an independent nurse can complete an assessment in a patient’s home if they’re facing increasing health concerns and need to quickly determine viable options for care.
A few triggers to look for when considering skilled nursing are as follows:
- Discussions with the hospital case manager or senior’s physician which made recommendations towards an increased level of care
- The senior has become non-ambulatory
- He or she has lost a considerable amount of weight, may not be eating well is having trouble preparing food or feeding themselves while living alone.
What financial costs should be considered when looking into the prospects of skilled care?
Skilled care is very expensive. Therefore, it’s very important to get a good grasp on the possible costs of going to a skilled nursing facility (commonly referred to as a SNF) and which programs or insurance may help pay for it. While Medicaid and Medicare will pay for a specific amount of days in skilled nursing facilities providing that a licensed physician certifies that care in a SNF is medically necessary, private pay charges can be in excess of $300 per day should a family have to pay privately for needed care in a skilled facility.
All About Seniors Is Here To Help!
It is vital for the well-being of the senior who is in need of additional care for us as a team to get the level of care correct from the start. With our knowledge and experience of the various levels including in-home care, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing options, we’ll be a valuable resource to you and your family and help you navigate through your situation. We guide families every day at no cost to them. It can be a complex process with tough decisions that have to be made. You don’t have to go at it alone. We’re just a phone call, text, or email away. Call us today!