There comes a time when your loved one might be in need of nursing care. Here’s everything that you need to know about nursing homes.
What is a nursing home facility?
Nursing home facilities, often called skilled nursing home facilities (SNF), provide twenty-four hour personal and medical care to people with disabilities, cognitive/physical declines, or illnesses. A nursing home is often the highest level of care an individual can receive outside of a hospital setting or independent living setting. Nursing homes offer many services such as rehabilitation, memory care, nursing care, and help with every day activities such as getting ready in the morning.
Some nursing homes are set up like hospitals, containing staff that provide medical care and nurses stations. Other nursing homes are laid out like a home, where the kitchen is open to all residents and there are a variety activities each day.1
While many nursing homes usually have older populations, anyone can find themselves in need of special care at a nursing home. Nursing homes typically serve those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and physical limitations to name a few people who might need nursing home care.
Who works at a nursing home?
Here are the typical staff at a nursing home. Note that this does not encompass all of the positions at every nursing home, or everything these positions are responsible for:
- Administrator: A licensed manager who keeps the nursing home running each day. They often oversee the daily operations, ensure all the staff remain compliant with the laws, and are often the touch point between the families and staff members.
- Director of Nursing: The Director of Nursing, also known as the DON, oversees the care that the nurses give to their residents. The DON will create care plans, supervise the staff, check for compliance, and manage patient care services.
- CNA: A Certified Nursing Assistant provides care to the residents at the nursing home. This includes daily activities such as dressing and getting ready in the morning, as well as monitoring their residents for changes in behavior or health.
- RN: A Registered Nurse (RN) will perform medical exams, review a residents’ medical history, operate medical equipment, and coordinate with doctors to bring residents care.
- LPN: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPNS) provide basic medical care to the residents they serve, and are often underneath the RNs. Some of their tasks include taking vital signs, changing bandages, giving medications, and reporting changes in the residents.
- Housekeeper: Housekeepers help keep the nursing homes they live in clean and tidy. They will clean the residents’ rooms, do laundry, take out the trash and ensure every room is following sanitary procedures.
- Activities Director: An activities director will design a schedule of activities for the residents to participate in each week with a goal of improving their physical and mental wellbeing. These activities can include games, exercise, arts and crafts, book clubs, and socialization days. Their goal is to encourage residents to get involved, and they will often make activities adaptable for the types of residents the nursing home offers services to.
- Speech-Language Pathologist: Speech-Language Pathologists specialize in helping the residents they serve with speech, swallowing, and language. Their goal is to help the residents they work with learn to communicate effectively with those around them.
- Social Worker: Social workers are advocates for the residents, speaking as the intermediary between residents, families, and staff. Their goal is to address a resident’s psycho-social needs through emotional support and counseling. They often help residents adjust to moving in as well as discharge planning, along with coordinating care transitions.
- Dietitian: A dietitian at a nursing home facility assess the nutritional needs of the residents they serve and work to tailor meal plans to their health needs. They will look at the dietary needs of each person and work with the food service team to provide meals that meet their needs.
- Food Service Worker/Cook: Food service workers and cooks work on the menu created by a facility’s dietitian. Their goal is to make meals that look appealing and are also nutritious.
When should you consider a nursing home?
It isn’t an easy decision to place a loved one into a nursing home. Usually, people will be placed into nursing homes for a condition that requires supervision, such as Alzheimer’s or a serious hospitalization.
You should have your loved one receive a medical exam to determine their eligibility for a nursing home. If your loved one needs 24 hour supervision, this could be a sign a that they will need a nursing home. Assisted living options are available for seniors who are able to live on their own but need staff on site for emergencies.
Tips for Choosing the Right Nursing Home
Here are some tips you should consider when choosing a nursing home:
- Ask questions. Find out about the staff, services, and how they can best care for your loved one.
- Location. Is the nursing home close to home? Will you be able to visit often?
- Find information. There are plenty of government available data about nursing homes. This can help you research and find out what their compliance rates are.
- Tour. Go visit the nursing homes that you are interested in. Find out what life is like there, and if you can envision your loved one living there.
- Read all paperwork. Read all of the paperwork, including the admission paperwork. Ask questions when you have them.
