Nursing home is different from Intensive Care Unit where medical services are given to patients round the clock. Nursing home can also be called as skilled nursing facility, skilled nursing unit or rest home, all of which is a type of residence for individuals needing special care and assistance in their daily living activities. Sudden decline in physical or mental abilities also call for a nursing home care.
Nursing home is a very general term and has different levels or degree of service depending on the patient’s needs. In general, this is a place where people who require nursing care and rehabilitation go to. Usually, nursing homes are for elderly citizens who are not capable of living alone anymore but some homes accept younger adults with mental or physical disabilities as well. While admitted to a nursing home, seniors will receive physical, occupational and rehabilitative therapies comfortably within the home’s parameters.
A licensed nurse on duty 24 hours a day is mandatory to all nursing homes and there should be a registered nurse every shift each day to ensure proper health monitoring of patients within their care. Modes of payment acceptable are Medicare, Medicaid, private payment and private insurance. Your payment should include services of nurses, nursing aides and assistants, all rehabilitative therapies for the patient, social workers to monitoring emotional and psychiatric status of the patient, recreational facilities, and of course, board and lodging.
Before, nursing homes were hospital-like in nature but after careful evaluation of its effect to seniors’ disposition and health, certain steps were taken to improve nursing homes. Today, they adapt a home-like atmosphere and taken a more personal approach in dealing with their wards. Some homes allow seniors to bring their pets with them while staying in the facilities. This method drives away the feeling of loneliness and homesickness that most seniors tend to develop. Because of this, seniors dramatically improve healthwise.
Prior to seniors’ admission, your physician should evaluate your needs by overall physical examination and will therefore, forward all necessary health records and instructions to the nursing home. This information will be used by the nursing home as reference for monitoring your health and well-being. This information includes treatment, medication, special diet and therapy. It will also determine what type of services you will need in a nursing home.
Often times, a social worker will assist you in choosing the right nursing home for you but it will also help tremendously if you can personally pick and arrange your nursing home of choice since you will be the one living in this facility. You can either ask referrals from your doctor and friends or do some little legwork by picking up nursing home brochures and studying them. It is also best to personally visit each one of the nursing homes you are interested with to have a better feel of the place. Moreover, this will help you decide what suits you best.
Whether you are searching for the right nursing home for you or for your loved-one, there are things you must consider like: the proximity of the place from your own home and the hospital. This should be close enough to both so your family can visit you anytime and you can also be taken to the hospital if the need arises; the facility size and number of patients against the number of staff are also important since these demographics will give you the idea how well the service is; the overall cost of the service including optional charges and how you will pay for these services. To avoid getting confused with all the shopping around, it is best to visit nursing homes with your primary caregiver.
