Skilled nursing care may seem obvious but it involves more than qualified nurses giving care. It is coordinated care given at a facility when a patient needs more care than family members or caregivers can provide. It may be either short or long term but it is clear that at home assisted living is not enough for a patient’s needs.
These facilities, commonly called nursing homes are, according to home care expert Mary S. Yamin-Garone of seniorhomes.com, “licensed healthcare facilities that are inspected and regulated by a state’s Department of Health Services.” They provide 24-Hour Home Care for patients who need assistance for “serious or persistent health issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
The professional healthcare providers serving in a nursing home environment may include:
- Nursing staff for wound care, intravenous medication dispensing and monitoring
- Physical therapists helping patients with balance and strength
- Occupational therapists working with patients on daily tasks such as getting dressed, eating and Personal Home Care
- Speech therapists training stroke victims to regain communication skills
To provide more convenience for patients, a number of facilities have their own laboratory, radiology and pharmacy while some even offer services such as respite or Hospice Home Care.
Special care units can provide for the chronic needs of patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, COPD and other chronic conditions. These progressive disorders leave patients without the ability to perform daily activities such as dressing, eating, bathing, mobility, etc. Skilled nurses at these care units are particularly trained for these challenges.
When might you need skilled nursing care?
If a family member requires assistance with any or all of the following:
- More specialized assistance than family or companion can give
- Round-the-clock nursing treatment, particularly if the senior citizen gets disoriented and may wander off if left unsupervised
- Support with everyday tasks such as personal hygiene, medications, meals and mobility
It may be time to consider skilled nursing care. In the long run, we hope our parents and other elderly and aging adults we care about will live long, healthy lives. But if not, the better we educated ourselves about options, the better we are able to take care of them at home or if needed at a facility suited to their specific needs.
For families who desire to keep a loved senior adult at home, there are many options for having skilled nursing care provided in the comfort of home. All the services listed above can be provided in the home of the elderly patient. Nurse registries are an ideal option to assist with securing professional nurses to care for your loved one. Family Private Care is always happy to talk with care seekers about the options available.