Skilled nursing facilities can play an essential role in the care of folks who need extra assistance with daily living activities or medical requirements. But the reality is that not every skilled nursing facility will be the right fit for your needs. If you or someone you love is considering obtaining necessary help through one of these organizations, it’s best to find out as much as you can before making a commitment to moving in. It’s not enough to simply conduct a search for “skilled nursing facility near me” on Google and call it a day; you’ll need to be a lot more thorough during this selection process. In fact, you’ll likely need to tour the facility — maybe even more than once — to determine whether it’s the right fit for you. You’ll then have an opportunity to find out a whole lot more than what might be included on the facility’s website. When you visit in person and talk to the personnel there, you’ll want to be sure to ask about these three following topics in order to select a high-quality skilled nursing facility St Louis residents can truly rely on.
- Licensure: When you conduct a search for “skilled nursing facility near me,” the results that come up will typically be more highly regulated than some other types of senior care facilities. That’s because skilled nursing facilities are licensed by the state’s Department of Health and are subject to regular inspections. That said, you should still inquire about the specific licenses held by the facility and ask to see them for yourself. Prior to your visit, find out more about your state’s requirements, particularly as they pertain to ratios of staff members to residents. You should select a facility that has obtained all required state licenses and that complies with all state requirements. You might also want to ask about whether the facility has received any awards or recognitions for the quality of care they provide, as this could play a part in your decision.
- Staff: What’s the biggest difference between a nursing home in my area and a skilled nursing facility near me, you might wonder. For some people, one of the most important distinctions is the staff that provide care to residents. At skilled nursing facilities, care is provided by doctors, nurses, speech pathologists, therapists (both physical and occupational), audiologists, and other medical professionals. That’s certainly not always the case with other types of senior living. However, that doesn’t always mean that staff members at skilled nursing facilities will automatically provide the best care available; if staff turnover is high or there are problems within the management team, this can impact your experience. Make sure to ask about turnover rates and the experience of staff members while keeping an eye out for signs of poor communication or absent staff members.
- Costs: No one really likes to discuss the costs of care, as it’s often an uncomfortable subject. But considering that the world’s population of individuals aged 60 and over is expected to double between 2015 and 2050, it’s a conversation that is poised to become much more relevant to a larger group of people who require skilled nursing care. If you think to yourself, “every skilled nursing facility near me will surely be covered by my insurance,” you might end up choosing a facility you can’t actually afford. While you might be covered by Medicare or Medicaid, you may have to pay out of pocket in other scenarios. However, a given facility should be able to inform you of your eligibility and provide you with information about any additional costs that you can expect. When living on a fixed income with limited savings, you can’t ignore the importance of cost during this process.
Ready to learn more about whether our skilled nursing facility is the right choice for you? Contact us today for further assistance.
