Nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people.[1] Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to indicate whether the institutions are public or private, and whether they provide mostly assisted living, or nursing care and emergency medical care. Nursing homes are used by people who do not need to be in a hospital, but require care that is hard to provide in a home setting. The nursing home staff attends to the patients' medical and other needs. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.
In the United States, while nearly 1 in 10 residents aged 75 to 84 stays in a nursing home for five or more years, nearly 3 in 10 residents in that age group stay less than 100 days, the maximum duration covered by Medicare, according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. Some nursing homes also provide short-term rehabilitative stays following surgery, illness, or injury. Services may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language therapy. Nursing homes also offer other services, such as planned activities and daily housekeeping. Nursing homes may offer memory care services, often called dementia care.[2]
Below are a few reasons to consider a nursing home:
When looking into nursing homes, consider what activities and/or medical needs patients one would need from the nursing home. Also consider finances, such as medical insurance and personal funds. Ensure the nursing home is properly licensed and has qualified staff. If time allows, visit the nursing home in person to receive a walk through of the facility and if given the opportunity to speak with a guest or family member of guest, ask about their experience thus far.
Therapy[edit]
Occupational therapy[edit]
One of the many services offered in a nursing home is occupational therapy. Occupational therapy may be necessary following an injury or illness in order to regain skills and to receive support during any physical or cognitive changes.[19] Occupational therapy will focus on activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming. Occupational therapy also assists with instrumental activities of daily living which include home and financial management, rest and sleep, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. Occupational therapists work to allow the person to safely and comfortably reintegrate into society by practicing public dining, transferring to different surfaces (chairs, beds, couches etc.), and will assess the need for any home modifications or safety equipment to ensure a proper and safe transition. When a cognitive and/or perceptual deficit is presented, therapists will work with the person by teaching strategies to maximize memory, sequencing and attention span length.[20]