Skilled Nursing Care Not For Everyone
Author
Thomas Wiest
CEO, Aspirience Home Care
What exactly is a skilled nursing facility? The definition is a medical facility offering similar services as a hospital, providing care for the appropriate seniors with optional long-term or short-term care. The price of skilled nursing home care is rising rapidly every year. However, skilled nursing homes are an excellent choice for those who require medical professionals. But they are not for every senior. Some seniors just need help with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, preparing food, going to the bathroom, or bathing.
Is it necessary for a senior to be in an expensive nursing home facility when all they need in assistance with their ADLs?
As a matter of fact, there are a number of elderly folk who are in skilled nursing home facilities who only need help with their ADLs, due to the lack of experience and the knowledge, they are unaware of the options that are accessible to them. Skilled nursing homes supply solutions for patients with complicated medial issues. The problems the residents could have may include mental illness such as dementia, physical illnesses like major infections, wound care, IV therapy, tube feeding, and physical/occupational therapy.
There are many attainable alternatives to skilled nursing home care if a senior does not need the 24 hour service from a skilled nurse just to help them prepare a meal or something simple. Retirement housing options are abundant across the United States, assisted living, private, or senior living communities are just a few of the facilities offered.
Assisted living is a considerable alternative for elderly people who just need a little help to get them through the day and probably also one of the most common for retired seniors. A great benefit of assisted living is the resident can live in their own home, apartment, or retirement community and have a care giver come over and cook them lunch or help them get dressed or what ever they need help with to get them through the day. The resident still has their privacy and freedom in the comfort of their own space. Basically, assisted living homes are homes that provide care for seniors who are incapable of living alone and just need help with the ADLs, and do not require skilled nursing home care.
However, if the senior has more needs with assistance and medical issues then a skilled nursing home facility is probably their best bet to get the care they need. A skilled care nursing home is required to customarily have other professionals on board to assist with patients needs. A social worker is typically on staff to assist the residents with their emotional problems and arrangements for the patients care. Occupational and physical therapists work within the structure of care, reporting progress to the doctors and coordinating specifically ordered therapies. The nurses generally take care of administering medications and prescriptions.
Individuals contemplating a skilled nursing home should investigate their choices and options of their individual situation before making a decision. There are different types of nursing home care options to choose from and in some cases the best plan of care is to just stay at home and have a care giver come over and help.
It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care can help with long term care by keeping your loved ones at home where they are most comfortable and safe.