What Is the Difference Between Skilled Nursing Facility and Nursing Home?
June 20, 2023 / Nursing Home, Skilled Nursing Facility
What Is a Skilled Nursing Facility?
A skilled nursing facility is a residential facility that provides skilled nursing and medical care for residents who need a high level of medically related care, commonly used to aid in recovery from issues such as strokes or terminal illness care. In a skilled nursing facility, it is very common for physicians, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical personnel to regularly be in the facility, providing care to residents. A skilled nursing facility is commonly a short term solution to aid in recovery before transitioning residents to a longer term facility, but the personnel in a skilled nursing facility can also provide round the clock care and aid in the activities of daily life. Individuals with chronic or terminal conditions who need round the clock medical care may stay in a skilled nursing facility for the long-term.
What Is a Nursing Home?
A nursing home is a skilled residential facility that provides a high level of custodial care for aging adults who need 24/7 supervision due to serious chronic conditions or memory deficits, due to conditions like dementia. Nursing homes provide assistance for residents with the activities of daily life, such as bathing, feeding, and dressing themselves. Nursing homes can offer medication management, and some nursing homes are able to provide an advanced level of medical care. Nursing homes may be a short-term solution, where they are structured more like a rehab to help individuals recovering from a hospital stay transition back to living independently, or a long term facility that serves seniors who will need permanent long-term care.
Skilled Nursing Facility vs. Nursing Home: Services Offered
Skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes have some overlap in their services offered, but generally their services are as follows:
Skilled Nursing Facility Services
A skilled nursing facility provides an advanced level of medical care, especially compared to other long-term care options. In a skilled nursing facility, doctors and nurses are on staff and will be in the facility on a daily basis. They can provide services such as stroke recovery, wound care, rehabilitation, physical, occupational, or speech therapy, IV administration, feeding tubes, and other high-level health care and health monitoring. In addition to the skilled medical care offered, a skilled nursing facility also provides mobility assistance, assistance with the activities of daily life, housekeeping, meals, entertainment, and social events within the facility for residents who are able to attend.
Nursing Home Services
A nursing home is able to customize its wide range of services and care to meet the needs of your loved one. Services include providing meals, housekeeping, and laundry services to residents. Medication management and reminders are common services, as are other assistance with the activities of daily life, such as bathing, getting dressed, and brushing teeth. Nursing homes can provide 24/7 care and supervision and may be able to provide rehab and physical therapies as needed. Nursing homes often have robust social activities for residents to participate in, such as games, movie nights, and activities in outside areas of the facility.
Cost of Skilled Nursing Facility vs. Nursing Home
Skilled Nursing Facility Cost
A stay in a skilled nursing facility is often much shorter than that of a nursing home, and for less than 20 days for qualifying individuals, this is often reasonably priced and can generally be covered by insurance. Costs rise quickly when stays lengthen in time, with an average cost of care reaching as much as $325 per day in the facility.
Nursing Home Cost
The national average cost of a shared room at a nursing home was $93,075 per year, and the national average cost of a private room at a nursing home was $105,850 per year. Health insurance, Medicaid, or other financial assistance programs will frequently cover these costs.
Skilled Nursing Facility vs. Nursing Home: Which Should You Choose?
Making the decision of how to best provide care for your elderly loved ones can be difficult, and working with the team at Senior Care AZ to analyze your unique situation and provide the right Arizona senior care placement services can help ease this burden a little bit. In general, if your loved one has extensive medical needs, such as wound care and IV administration, a skilled nursing facility may be an excellent choice for their care. If they do not have extensive medical needs but have memory deficits or need general assistance with the activities of daily life, a nursing home could be an excellent fit to provide the support and comfort your loved one needs.