A Nursing Home
Will I Need One as I Age?
Written by Janelle Meyers, CSA(R), LALD
As a certified senior advisor, it is important to provide people with education to make informed decisions. A common question people ask is Will I Need a Nursing Home. Before Assisted Living, the only choice for elder care was a nursing home. Today’s nursing home is much different than your grandparents nursing home.
What Is a Nursing Home
A nursing home is a facility that cares for older or disabled people at the highest level of care in the senior living spectrum. Skilled nursing facility (SNF), long-term care (LTC), care centers are terms that often refer to a nursing home. A nursing home is required to have licensed nursing staff available around the clock to care for the people who live or stay there. They are highly regulated by federal and state agencies. Nursing homes are often the most expensive option for care. Medicaid is the most common payor source of nursing homes and not everyone will qualify for Medicaid. To look up nursing homes and also see how they are rated see here.
Short-Term Rehabilitation
There are times when people go to a nursing home after a hospital stay to receive skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy. This is known as short-term rehabilitation. Medicare will help pay for up to 100 days of rehabilitation, but it does not pay for long-term care. When therapy is complete the person goes home, to long-term care or another care setting.
Long-Term Care
When a person reaches a level of care that cannot be provided at home or in assisted living a move to a nursing home may be beneficial. A few examples are:
- Chronic wound management
- Management of a feeding tube
- Ventilator care
- Other complex heath needs that require monitoring by a licensed nurse 24/7
For an older person to qualify for skilled nursing care there must be a need. Each state defines this level of care differently. There are fewer nursing homes today than there were twenty years ago. This is because more people want to live in a less restrictive setting that is more like home.
Care Alternatives
People have more options for care than ever before. Assisted living communities help with bathing, medication management, wheelchair assistance, aid using the bathroom and much more. Residential care homes often owned by licensed staff offer a higher resident to staff ratio to provide more personalized attention. These settings feel more like a home. They also welcome hospice service to support residents when the end of life is near.
Will you need a nursing home? The answer is more complicated than yes or no. Some people may need a nursing home because their needs are high enough to qualify for a licensed nurse to monitor their condition twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Many people live happily and safely in a less restrictive setting. Are you still wondering what your best options are for senior living? Learn more about how a certified senior advisor can help you by visiting www.choiceconnectionmn.com