Nursing care facilities provide care for individuals who need skilled nursing care on a regular basis but do not need to be hospitalized. Care is administered by professionals under the direction of a physician. Facilities are regulated by state departments of health. Many nursing care facilities also offer sub-acute, respite, rehabilitation and other short-term care. Rehabilitation services can be especially helpful for individuals who are recovering from surgery or an illness.
What to look for in a Nursing Care Facility? Before choosing a facility, contact the long-term Care Ombudsman Program of your Area Agency on Aging. Ombudsman programs promote the highest quality of life and care for residents of nursing facilities and can help families and staff with inquiries and complaints.
Tell the ombudsman which facilities you are considering and request any information they have about the facility. Visit prospective facilities at different times of day. Talk with residents and staff members. Be persistent about getting your questions answered.
Entering and Adjusting to Nursing Home Life? Although some people enter a nursing home temporarily for a short-term stay, it is still a sad day for most people and sad feelings are normal. Reassurance from family and friends that love and contact will be maintained can ease the transition. In addition, there are steps to take that may help lessen the trauma of the change:
• Talk about the admission in advance?
• Visit the home with the prospective resident beforehand, if possible?
• Involve the prospective resident as much as possible in the decision-making?
• Describe the home in detail before moving there?
• Decide together what items to bring to the nursing home?
• Get to know the administration of the nursing home?
• Maintain contact with the resident after admission?
• Maintain contact with the home after admission?
On the day of admission, be available the entire day to help settle the resident and provide emotional support.
Paying for a Nursing Care Facility? Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and personal assets are all used under various circumstances to pay for services in a nursing care facility. If a facility is not certified by Medicare and Medicaid, the care will have to be paid for entirely with personal funds.
In general, Medicare pays for skilled nursing care following hospitalization for the same illness or condition at 100% of the cost for days 1 – 20. However, on days 21 – 100 the Medicare subscriber is responsible for a co-pay. Medicaid, a government program for the indigent, covers nursing home care for individuals who meet strict medical and financial eligibility requirements. Some long-term care insurance pays for nursing home care; insurance payments are usually a fixed amount for a specified number of qualified days. On the subject of buying long-term health care insurance, the National Council on Aging can be helpful, providing practical, objective information on what to look for. Call 1-800-373-4906 and request the “Long-Term Care Insurance” booklet. The cost for the booklet is $14.95 for non-members. Information is also available online: www.ncoa.org.
The “Consumer’s Guide to Nursing Home Contracts,” published by Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Inc., provides additional information and advice on paying for nursing care services. Below is an excerpt from the guide.
What is the Basic Daily Rate? The basic daily rate is the standard charge the nursing home bills to all residents, which covers the fundamental services every resident receives, including rent for the room, housekeeping, meals, and general nursing care.
It is important to understand all the services and amenities that are not included in the basic daily rate. The fees and charges for “supplemental services” often increase the expense of the nursing home bill dramatically, to the surprise and dismay of the recipient of the bill. Often services expected to be included in the basic daily rate, such as extra nursing services, pharmaceutical needs, and telephone services are extra charges.
Does the basic daily rate include all the nursing care I will need? Probably not. The basic daily rate includes “basic” or “general” nursing services. What is provided with basic or general nursing care may vary from nursing home to nursing home.
But the basic daily rate often does not include many common nursing services. Physical therapy, glucose monitoring, incontinent care, hand or tube feeding, etc. might each involve extra fees. In addition, prescription and non-prescription medicines are not included in the basic daily rate.
How can I avoid being surprised by added costs? To understand which additional services (and additional costs) a resident will require, the first place to look is the Resident Assessment. This assessment is required by law and analyzes what kind of nursing and other care the resident needs. For example, if the new resident is incontinent, the assessment should indicate this fact.
To get an accurate assessment of the costs, make sure you understand what is covered by the basic daily rate. Then, ask the nursing home representative to discuss the resident assessment and to explain to you what additional nursing and services, beyond what is covered by the basic daily rate, are necessary. The nursing home should give you an itemized list of supplemental services and the costs above the basic daily rate.
Also, decide what additional amenities you want (telephone, beauty care, etc.) and add these costs in. Request an estimate of the total bill. You should have this estimate long before the end of the first month, so that you know exactly what to expect.
Since paying for care in a nursing care facility can be both expensive and confusing, it is a good idea to contact your local department of social services or Area Agency on Aging for more information.
Evaluating Nursing Homes
Use this checklist to judge and compare the nursing homes you call and/or visit.
- Is the facility accepting new patients?
- Does the facility offer skilled nursing care?
- Is the facility Medicare-certified and/or Medicaid-certified?
- Are the home and its current administrator licensed?
- What type of education and training do staff members have?
- How many Registered Nurses (RNs) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are on staff?
- Are background checks conducted on all staff members?
- Is there a care plan developed for every resident?
- Are care plans reviewed and updated by providers and family members?
- Is the interaction between residents and staff members warm and respectful?
- Are public areas and resident rooms clean and comfortable?
- Are there a variety of activities available for residents?
- What is the staff to patient ratio at night and on weekends?
- Do staff members respond to residents requests for assistance promptly?
- Are there enough staff members available to assist residents during meals?
- Does the food in the dining room look and smell appealing?
- Are there handrails in hallways and grab bars in bathrooms?
- Are exits clearly marked?
- Is the facility outfitted with smoke detectors and sprinklers?
Adapted from Medicare’s Nursing Home checklist. For more information, see www.medicare.gov.
This article was reprinted with permission from Guide to Retirement Living SourceBook, to access the original article and additional senior living resources in VA, MD, DC, DE, PA, NJ click here.