Difference Between Skilled Nursing and Nursing Home Care

There’s a huge difference between the help seniors need with activities of daily living and the help they need recovering from a major illness. While nursing homes are facilities where people can live when they need high levels of assistance with everyday living tasks, skilled nursing is appropriate when they require medical care, in cases such as recovering from a stroke.

Here’s a deeper look at the differences between various types of facilities and care options.

Nursing Homes: Daily Non-Medical Care

Nursing homes provide daily non-medical care to their residents and some residents may be more independent than others. A senior can usually live in a nursing home, even if they need frequent medical care, such as a weekly dialysis. This is because the senior can physically travel if transportation is available.

Nursing homes provide meals, housekeeping services, manage your medications and organize activities, such as exercise classes, and tours outside the nursing home. Nurses’ aides provide the care. There may or may not be a doctor on staff and you need to pay for nursing home care out-of-pocket.

Skilled Nursing Facilities: Daily Medical Care

A wide range of medical services available in skilled nursing facilities make them different from nursing homes. Doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physical therapists and speech therapists, are available for seniors in skilled nursing facilities.

Many seniors reach the skilled nursing facilities after a hospital stay, or if they need help with a medical issue, like –

Stroke recovery
Wound care
Rehab after a serious condition or surgery
Terminal illness
Serious memory issues
Around-the-clock care

The skilled nursing facilities’ personnel can also help with daily living tasks such as feeding, using the bathroom and getting dressed.

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