The selection of skilled nursing care for a loved one or friend is often a difficult task. To do the job right, one must be prepared for the time-consuming effort of gathering the many facts needed to help in the decision-making process. Finding the right facility is all-important to a loved one's well-being. The facility selected will be the person's home and community for either a short period of time or the remainder of there live.
What Is a Nursing Home?
The term "nursing home" is a widely misused and misunderstood term. The term has been defined as anything from a rest home, skilled nursing to an acute care hospital. This is confusing to anyone who needs to know the type of facility to select that will best meet their needs and what the appropriate level of care should be. Nursing homes are primarily designed to meet the needs of persons convalescing from illness or to provide long-term nursing supervision for persons with chronic medical problems.
A nursing home is not a hospital and does not provide the acute care provided in a hospital setting. The goal of nursing home care is to provide care and treatment to restore or maintain the patent's highest level of physical, mental, and social well-being.
Below is a definition of what a skilled nursing facility can provides. A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a facility that is required to provide continuous (24-hour) nursing supervision by registered or licensed vocational nurses. Commonly referred to as "nursing homes" or "convalescent hospitals," these facilities normally care for the incapacitated person in need of long- or short-term care and assistance with many aspects of daily living (walking, bathing, dressing, eating). At a minimum, SNF's provide medical, nursing, dietary, pharmacy, and activity services. Many SNF's offer rehabilitation services on a short term care basis to help individuals return home following any kind of accident, illness, injury, stroke or orthopedic procedure. Licensing and Certification All state governments require that nursing homes be licensed. The licensing requirements establish acceptable practices for care and services. State inspectors visit nursing homes at least once a year to determine their compliance with state standards and their qualifications to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
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