The California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification Division, with district offices throughout the State, is responsible for licensing SNFs and providing facility inspections to ensure compliance with licensing standards. Click here to find SNFs in your area and to see the State’s most recent inspection of these facilities. Click here for more information about SNFs and for a checklist when evaluating SNF options. SNFs must be (1) Licensed or (2) Licensed and Certified. SNFs do not have to accept Medicare or Medi-Cal residents, but if they do, they must also meet the standards established by the federal government to participate in these programs. In other words, a facility that treats Medicare or Medi-Cal residents must be licensed and certified. People typically use the words “skilled nursing, “assisted living” and “nursing home” interchangeably, but they’re actually all different terms. Nursing home is a term used to describe the physical building where residents receive assisted living or skilled nursing care. Assisted living is for seniors who don’t need around-the-clock nursing care but who could use help with activities of daily living (ADL). ADLs include assistance with eating, medication reminders, bathing, dressing and getting out of bed. Skilled nursing care refers to a patient’s need for care or treatment that can only be performed by licensed nurses. This type of care is usually offered in hospitals, assisted living communities, Life Plan Communities, nursing homes and other certified locations. Skilled nursing is mostly regulated by the U.S. Department of Health and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To be certified by CMS, skilled nursing communities must meet strict criteria and are subject to periodic inspections to ensure quality standards are being met. Types of skilled nursing care If you or a loved one has had a stroke, surgery or extensive treatment for kidney, heart or respiratory conditions, they may still require rehabilitation at a skilled nursing community following their release from the hospital. Medicare will pay for skilled nursing services if a physician prescribes specialized therapies – physical and occupational therapy – medications, medical equipment and supplies, and social services, to help your loved one meet their health goals. However, to qualify, you must go to a Medicare-certified skilled nursing community. Physical therapy: After an illness, surgery or hospitalization, a rehab care team will create a personalized plan for the most optimal outcome. Occupational therapy: Help adapting to social and physical environments through specialized therapies for getting dressed, memory training and coordination exercises. Speech therapy: Addresses communication issues and swallowing dysfunction. Speech and language pathologists design a treatment plan to help with language ability, provide alternate communication strategies and give appropriate diet recommendations.
Skilled nursing communities can offer a wide range of services and medical care: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, wound care, intravenous (IV) therapy, injections and monitoring of vital signs and medical equipment.
Skilled nursing staff includes:
They also must have a transfer agreement with a hospital in case a resident requires emergency care.
Helpful tips and question to ask As you evaluate all the possible care options, here are some helpful tips to get you started and important questions to ask before you decide. Getting started:
Even if you know the differences among the types of care available, it can be hard to know which skilled nursing community is best for you or your loved one. To help seniors, their families and caregivers compare different skilled nursing communities more easily, CMS created a Five-Star Quality Rating System that gives each community a rating between 1 and 5 Stars. A 5-Star rating signifies “much above average quality” care. A 1-Star rating represents “much below average quality.” Throughout Harrogate’s 30-year history, we’ve consistently achieved a 5-Star CMS rating. Taking a tour? Note the following:
Some important questions to ask:
If you’re unsure which type of skilled nursing care is best for you or your loved one, contact your doctor or physician to assess what services you’ll need now or in the future. Harrogate offers on-site independent living, rehabilitation and skilled nursing. If you’d like to learn more about Harrogate or discuss your care options, use our contact form or call (732) 942-5272. |