What is Skilled Nursing in Senior Care?
Finding the senior care options for you or your aging loved one can be daunting. Independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing—what do they all mean? If you’re looking for senior living services and you’re feeling overwhelmed, we want to tell you to take a deep breath. We can answer any questions you may have, including “What is skilled nursing, and is it the right fit for my family?”
For older people who are recovering from injuries or who live with significant disabilities, St. Andrew’s offers a wide range of services, including skilled nursing care services, senior rehabilitation services, and Medicare-certified home health services. Depending on your family’s needs, one of these services could be the right fit for you or your aging loved one.
What is Skilled Nursing Care?
Also known as:
- Skilled care
- Nursing care
- Nursing home care
Skilled nursing care is a level of care people, usually older adults, receive when they need significant healthcare assistance and they can no longer manage their personal care needs on their own. Specifically, this type of care is a form of specialized medical care received by medical professionals and other trained individuals.
Who Offers Skilled Care?
A wide range of professionals can offer skilled nursing care services, including:
- Caregivers
- Occupational therapists
- Speech pathologists
- Physical therapists
- Licensed nurses
Who Receives Skilled Nursing Care?
People usually receive nursing care when they can no longer care for themselves while recovering after an injury, live with a new disability, or cannot manage day-to-day care when living with a long-term medical condition. Many older adults receive this type of care on site in their retirement communities, often from practical nurses and other staff members.
Where Do People Receive Nursing Care Services?
Skilled nursing services can be part of a long-term care plan or a short-term rehabilitation program. These programs can take place:
- During a hospital stay
- In a rehabilitation center
- In a senior living community, specifically a skilled nursing facility (also known as an SNF, skilled nursing care facility, or nursing home)
Less commonly, people can receive skilled nursing care as part of home care/home health services from traveling nurses or trained family members.
What is Included in Skilled Nursing?
Common skilled care services include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Wound care
- Medical treatment for chronic conditions
- Rehabilitation services for recent injuries
- Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), or custodial care
- Medication management
- Monitoring of vital signs
- Medical social services
How Do People Pay for Skilled Nursing Care?
Typical ways to pay for skilled care services include:
- Private health insurance, including long-term care insurance
- Medicaid
- Medicare (up to 100 days)
- Veterans benefits
- Private pay/out-of-pocket pay
Skilled Nursing Care at St. Andrew’s
What is skilled nursing? If you ask the team here at St. Andrew’s, we would tell you that it’s a form of senior care dedicated to improving the quality of life of people living with disabilities or who are recovering from an injury. Part of improving quality of life is addressing physical needs, yes, but it goes beyond that. At St. Andrew’s, skilled nursing also means addressing spiritual concerns and emotional needs. Contact our team today to learn more about how we nurture the mind, body, and spirit for our skilled nursing residents.
