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Long Term Care Part 2

Skilled Nursing Facilities

Skilled Nursing Facilities (like Mitchell Hollingsworth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center), also called nursing homes, provide a wide range of health and personal care services. Their services focus on medical care and typically include skilled nursing care, 24-hour supervision, meals and snacks, and assistance with everyday activities. Rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy, are also available.

Some people stay at a nursing home for a short time after being in the hospital due to an accident, illness, or surgery. Upon receiving inpatient therapy services and routine nursing care, they recover and return home. However, the majority of Skilled Nursing Facility residents live there permanently because they have ongoing physical or mental conditions that require constant care and supervision.

If you need to go to a Skilled Nursing Facility after a hospital stay, the hospital Social Services or Case Management staff can help you find one that will provide the kind of care that's best for you. If you are currently at home and seeking placement in a Skilled Nursing Facility for yourself or a loved one, ask your primary care physician for their recommendations. It is always a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor making it known to them that you are considering long-term placement and care in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Once you know what choices you have, it's a good idea to:

Consider. What is important to you—nursing care, meals, physical therapy, a religious/ethnic/cultural connection, hospice care, or special memory care / secure units for dementia patients? Do you want a place close to family and friends so they can easily visit?

Ask. Talk with friends, relatives, social workers, and religious groups to find out what places they suggest. Check with healthcare providers about which nursing homes they feel provide good care.

Call. Get in touch with each place on your list. Ask questions about how many people live there and what it costs. Find out about waiting lists.

Visit. Make plans to meet with the admissions and nursing director. (At Mitchell Hollingsworth, you can call any time Monday thru Friday between 8:00am and 4:30pm at 256-740-5400 to speak with someone in our admissions office about your specific needs and questions. If afterhours or weekends, you can call our admission liaison at 256-762-0540.)

Talk. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Write them down prior to making a phone call or visiting a facility. Be sure to bring them with you so you won’t forget what you want to inquire about. Write down the answers!

Understand. Once you select a nursing home, carefully read the contract. Ask questions about anything you don't understand. Ask to see the latest survey results or current inspection report and certification of any nursing home you are considering.

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