What Is Skilled Nursing Care?

People often use the terms ‘assisted living’, ‘skilled nursing,’ and ‘nursing home’ interchangeably, but these all mean different things.

A nursing home is a physical building where the residents get assisted living or skilled nursing care.

Assisted living is for older people that do not require round-the-clock nursing care but need help with their daily activities. These are referred to as ADLs, and they include medication reminders, showering/bathing, dressing, eating, and getting out of bed.

Skied nursing care is given to a patient who needs care or treatment by a licensed nurse. This type of care is offered in assisted living communities, hospitals, Life Plan communities, nursing homes, and various certified institutions.

Types Of Skilled Nursing Care

Some conditions require rehabilitation at a skilled nursing facility. For example, if a loved one has had a stroke or needs extensive treatment for disorders of the heart, kidney, or respiratory issues, they need this kind of care after being released from the hospital. In addition, Medicare pays for skilled nursing services if a certified physician prescribes specialized therapies. These include physical and occupational therapy, medication, medical equipment, and social services to assist your loved one in achieving the health goals. To qualify for this, you will be required to go to a skilled nursing community certified for Medicare.

Physical Therapy – A rehab care team comes up with a personalized plan to achieve optimum results after an illness, hospitalization, or surgery.

Occupational Therapy – It includes assistance with adjusting to physical and social environments. It is done through specialized therapies for getting dressed, coordination exercises, and memory training.

Speech Therapy – It addresses swallowing problems and communication difficulties. Speech and language pathologists create a treatment plan that assists language ability provides alternative ways to communicate. They also give the proper diet.

Skilled nursing communities have various services and different types of medical care. These include physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, wound care, injections, IV therapy, speech-to-language pathology, and keeping track of vital signs.

The skilled nursing staff is made up of:

• Registered nurses
• Speech and language pathologists
• Licensed practical nurses
• Audiologists
• Licensed vocational nurses
• Medical directors

 

They are required to have a transfer agreement with a hospital for instances when a resident requires emergency care.

How To Choose Skilled Nursing Communities

1. What impression does the place have?
2. Is the place clean?
3. Is the staff friendly to the residents?
4. Do the residents seem happy and well-cared for?
5. Do you see your loved one living there comfortably?

Feel free to contact your Lavender Springs care facility today. Also, if you want to get our home office in Texas, you can reach us at (512) 698-7285. We would love to hear from you!