If your loved one has been hospitalized, they may require additional care at a skilled nursing center prior to returning home to ensure a complete and successful recovery. This can bring a level of stress and uncertainty to you and your loved one, especially with the varying information surrounding skilled nursing centers.
To ensure you and your loved one are properly prepared for their post-acute care stay, let’s take a look at some common misconceptions about skilled nursing centers.
Myth: Skilled Nursing Care is for Older Adults Only
One misconception about skilled nursing centers is that it is strictly for older adults over 65. In fact, skilled nursing provides care for adults of all ages, if they are recovering from a hospitalization for an injury, procedure, or unplanned medical event. Whether you are a young adult or senior recovering from a serious accident, a cardiac event, or require assistance with activities of daily living, you can receive specialized medical care at a skilled nursing center.
At Prestige Care, our therapy and clinical teams will work with you to build a comprehensive individualized care plan based on your medical needs and goals to help support your path to recovery. No matter your age or ability, our highly skilled healthcare team will work diligently to help you achieve your goals so you can return home to your active, independent lifestyle.
Myth: Nutritional Dining Options are Limited
If you are receiving care at a skilled nursing center, you may require a modified or specialized diet depending on your medical needs. It is especially important to consider a nutritional diet in order to reduce the risk of developing further health complications and prevent hospital readmission.
Although your loved one may require a restricted diet, their registered dietitians take pride in providing them with the personalized diet they need while also offering a variety of meal choices to ensure they are able to choose meals they enjoy.
Our dietary teams at Prestige work with each resident to create an appetizing and customized meal plan to coincide with their overall rehabilitation program. This may include a diet of lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Dining options at a skilled nursing center are far from limited and can even be modified depending on their preferences.
Myth: Skilled Nursing Stays are Permanent
Another common myth regarding skilled nursing centers is that a stay at this type of care facility is permanent. Regardless of whether you receive short- or long- term care, the primary goal of this level of care is to help a person successfully recover after a hospitalization and return home with an increased level of independence and mobility. It is ultimately intended to be a transitional period between the hospital and home.
Depending on the severity of their medical needs, some residents will be required to stay for a few weeks, while others may need additional care for a few months. However, the average length of stay at a skilled nursing center is about 29 days.
During your stay at a Prestige skilled nursing center, you can ensure your loved one is receiving the highest quality of care they need to ensure they are able to meet their rehabilitation goals and return home as quickly as possible. We provide ongoing, comprehensive evaluations and measure each person’s progress throughout their entire recovery journey. Our highly skilled team also works with each resident to help determine their need for home health or outpatient services upon discharge.
Myth: A Skilled Nursing Center is the Same as a Nursing Home
Many people often confuse a Nursing Home with a Skilled Nursing Center, and although there are some similarities, they are vastly different care centers. While a skilled nursing center provides a temporary care stay prior to returning home from a hospitalization, a nursing home is a permanent stay intended for those who require assistance with every day non-medical tasks and may have a varying level of independence.
This level of generalized care at a nursing home may include medication management, providing meals, cleaning your rooms, and offering laundry services. In addition to providing generalized care, a skilled nursing center also provides a 24/7 onsite healthcare team that is typically not offered at a nursing home. Skilled nursing care is intended to meet the specialized medical needs of every individual including those that may have experienced a stroke, are recovering from a joint injury, or live with a chronic health condition.
Myth: There is a Lack of Quality Care
There is also a common belief that skilled nursing centers might not provide the quality of care that is required for a resident’s optimal recovery. In reality, these centers must meet strict guidelines with regards to high levels of quality standards. These guidelines are regulated by a governing body such as the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and each skilled nursing center is required to adhere to regular inspections and surveys to ensure they are meeting those specific safety and quality guidelines.
Skilled nursing centers also employ highly trained and certified clinical professionals including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and physical, speech, and occupational therapists. This team of healthcare professionals is dedicated to providing each person with the highest quality of care to ensure a successful recovery and prevent the risk of readmission.
At Prestige, our interdisciplinary healthcare teams work with each resident to ensure they are receiving the most advanced level of care they need to improve their independence and successfully return to their active lifestyles. Many of our centers have achieved a 5-Star Overall Rating by CMS recognizing their positive health outcomes, staffing levels, health inspection and overall quality of care.
Myth: Skilled Nursing Centers Are Dark and Gloomy
The myth that skilled nursing centers have a sterile, cold, and gloomy atmosphere couldn’t be farther from the truth. Post-acute care centers are designed to provide a warm, home-like environment for all the residents to ensure a positive recovery journey and ease the transition back home. Many skilled nursing centers offer a variety of amenities, activities, and themed events for the residents to participate in to create a lively, engaging atmosphere.
At Prestige, our goal is to create a welcoming, social environment for both our residents and team members. We understand it is important for our residents to maintain an active social life to enhance their emotional wellbeing, so we offer weekly activities and programs, monthly themes, social outings in the community, and outdoor spaces to enjoy. We strive to enhance each resident’s experience during their rehabilitation to ensure they feel comfortable and safe in their temporary environment.
You can rest assured your loved one is being cared for and supported during their stay at a Prestige Center. We understand how challenging it can be for your loved one to transition to a post-acute care center, but we are here to help navigate your family through the process and ensure they are receiving the highest quality of care possible.
