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Nurse helping older adult female

What is Skilled Nursing For Seniors?

More than half of Americans over 65 will need some sort of long-term care in their lifetime, including nearly 60% of women. Those statistics are eye-opening – but they also reveal the importance of understanding your options. If you or your loved one require extra support, you don’t want to be confused by all the levels of service you’ll find at care centers near you.

To help fill you in, we’ve assembled this quick guide to the basics of skilled nursing care that provides answers to your frequently asked questions.

HOW SKILLED NURSING COULD HELP YOU

At the simplest level, ‘skilled nursing’ refers to any kind of care by a professional nursing staff that’s targeted at alleviating major health concerns. Of course, it’s different from a hospital or clinical environment – instead of seeing to the immediate treatment of injury or illness, skilled nursing focuses on recovery and quality of life.

So who is skilled nursing for? It can help you or someone you love to bounce back after they get sick or injured. Skilled nursing can also provide long-term support for seniors with chronic health issues. In long-term care, the objective for caregivers is to promote comfort and help overcome the obstacles that inhibit day-to-day living.

ANSWERING COMMON QUESTIONS

As a skilled nursing care provider, we get lots of questions about how it compares to other kinds of senior care. Here’s a few of the questions we see the most.

  • What is considered skilled nursing care? Skilled nursing is used in both rehabilitation and long-term care environments. The most common types of skilled nursing treatment are physical, speech and occupational therapies. These can be useful for regaining functionality lost to injury, illness or health incidents like strokes.
  • What is the difference between skilled nursing and long-term care? Long-term care usually refers to skilled nursing administered to help maintain quality of life through lingering health problems. One exception is when long-term care is used to refer to assisted living – that’s an entirely separate kind of care meant for seniors who only need a little extra help to stay independent.
  • How is a skilled nursing facility different than a nursing home? Skilled nursing facility services can vary greatly. Some, like ours, are more like a residential community with many amenities and services that make daily living more enjoyable. Others are more clinical – those are usually what people think of when they think of the phrase “nursing homes”.
  • What is the difference between skilled nursing and rehab? This is a trick question – there really isn’t one. Rehabilitation is just one kind of service you’ll find at skilled nursing communities across the country.
  • What about Medicare and skilled nursing? In some cases, it may be possible to use Medicare benefits to pay for all or part of your stay in a skilled nursing center. Be sure to inquire about this when you visit.

For more, visit this page on long-term care from the National Institute on Aging.

SEE SKILLED NURSING IN PRACTICE AT WESTVIEW OF DERBY

We proudly provide rehabilitation and extended stay skilled nursing services coordinated by a team of talented professionals. When you choose our local care center, you’re not just finding a place to get better – you’re joining a community of friends with a support network made to uplift your life.

Quality care begins with good conversation. Contact us to learn more about our unique care offerings today.