When Should Skilled Nursing Be Considered for Your Loved One?

After your loved one returns from a hospital stay or it becomes necessary to provide them with 24/7 attentive medical care, a short-term or long-term move to a skilled nursing facility is often the best solution.

What Is Skilled Nursing?

Families often wonder, “What is the difference between skilled nursing and long-term care… and which one does my loved one need?”

Skilled nursing is appropriate when a patient’s need for care or treatment can only be performed by licensed nurses. Often though, in the case of older adults, a stay in skilled nursing can evolve into a long-term stay in which residents continue to need ongoing medical care (that doesn’t require hospitalization), as well as help with eating, bathing, and taking medications. Long-term senior care can take place within a skilled nursing facility or in a nursing home setting. Nursing home residents are medically stable but need assistance due to chronic conditions or a lack of mobility.

Some retirement communities such as Legacy Pointe at UCF in Orlando, Florida, have a skilled nursing neighborhood on their campus. They’re equipped to care for community residents who transition to this level of care, as well as those from outside the community.

Who Needs Skilled Nursing?

People who are best suited for skilled nursing are those who don’t need the kind of acute care available through long-term hospitalization, but they may need short-term skilled nursing after a brief hospital stay. Also, when someone finds that independent living or assisted living aren’t sufficient, long-term skilled nursing may be the best solution. Whether they need short-term or long-term care, candidates for skilled nursing require ongoing, hands-on medical attention and high-level assistance with personal care.

In a skilled nursing neighborhood like the type offered within Legacy Pointe, your loved one will receive compassionate round-the-clock attention by licensed professionals and other personnel specifically trained for care of this kind. This can include assistance with activities of daily living such as toileting and dressing, along with administering medications, wound care, catheter and/or IV care, and rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapies, etc.

In addition to overseeing your loved one’s medical needs, attention is also paid to providing them with as much social interaction and mental and physical stimulation as possible. This is an important aspect of the care at Legacy Pointe, and something you’ll want to ask about at whatever facility you’re considering.

What Will Skilled Nursing Cost?

The costs associated with skilled nursing vary depending on the facility location, level of care, and the services and amenities that may be included, among other factors. As an example of  what the daily cost might be, Legacy Pointe’s skilled nursing care is $364 per day. That fee includes 24/7 professional care and assistance, rehab and therapy services, meals, utilities, activities, and community amenities.

Medicare part A may cover a portion of the costs and services such as medications, semiprivate  room, and medical supplies and equipment, as well as the list mentioned in the previous paragraph for up to 100 days and possibly longer under certain other circumstances.

But it’s important to speak with each facility director to understand both the eligibility requirements, costs, and what you might have to cover out of pocket.

Pensions and Social Security can also offset the cost, as can veteran’s benefits. About 3.3% of  older adults have long-term care insurance which may also help offset costs; however, buying a new policy at an advanced age if your loved one doesn’t currently have it will likely be cost-prohibitive.

Learn Why Your Loved One Deserves Our Kind of Skilled Nursing.

Compassion drives everything we do for our residents in skilled nursing care. If you have a loved one coming out of the hospital or recovering from a major illness, Legacy Pointe offers short-term or long-term stays. Get in touch and let’s talk about the best options for your loved one’s care.