HowItWorks.net

If you think you or someone you love may need 'round the clock care due to age, illness, or a physical or mental disability, you may be considering nursing home care. A reputable nursing home will make sure that all personal and medical needs are taken care of for their residents by a qualified, skilled staff of professionals. If you would like to know more about it, read on. Here is some basic information on how nursing home care works.

Types of Care Provided

The level and amount of care that nursing home residents require varies from person to person, but in most cases they need 24-hour care, whether it's for personal reasons, medical needs, or a combination of both. The typical nursing home provides comprehensive medical and social services, personal assistance for things like bathing, using the bathroom, and walking, laundry services, and recreational activities including entertainment.

Short-Term Care

Nursing homes offer short-term care for individuals recovering from surgery, illness, or injury--and care includes any type of rehabilitation required so that short-term residents are able to return home as quickly as possible. Short-term care is also offered for people with terminal illnesses. Terminally ill residents that are unable to receive 24-hour care and attention at home can choose to spend the remainder of their days in a facility that can provide them with everything they need to be comfortable.

Long-Term Care

Long-term care is what's offered to a majority of nursing home residents. When long-term care is selected for you or your loved one, it's usually chosen because constant care or supervision is required and there is little or no chance of returning to an independent lifestyle. A resident and his or her family members or loved ones can work together with nursing home staff to come up with a plan for personal and medical care that everyone can feel good about.

Cost

Nursing home care can be paid for in a number of ways. Medicare and Medicaid sometimes cover a portion of the costs for individuals who qualify, and the remaining expense is paid for either out-of-pocket or by a long-term insurance policy, if the resident has one.

Regulation and Licensing

Both the state and federal governments regulate nursing homes. In accordance with the Department of Health, nursing homes must maintain proper licensing at all times, and meet certain standards set in order to insure safe and quality care for the people that pay for their services. All facilities must also be certified by both Medicaid and Medicare. Nursing home staff must be trained in accordance with the services they provide, and hold all necessary credentials and licenses required to provide both medical and personal care needed by the residents they care for.

If you're seriously considering nursing home care for yourself or a loved one, take the time to research and contact the facilities in your area in order to compare costs, types and levels of care offered, and their reputations. Meet with your primary caregiver and ask any questions you may have about nursing home care and how it works--don't forget to ask for recommendations as well. Your health care professional will be able to help you determine what type of care is needed, and steer you in the right direction if or when the times comes that a nursing home is the best place for you or your family member to reside.

About the author:

Written by Sandy Morgan. Sandy knows firsthand how intimidating it can be to help a family member make the transition to nursing home care. She enjoys writing about senior care and similar topics for NursingHomes.org and related sites.