This is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF), long-term care facilities, old people’s homes, assisted living facilities care homes, rest homes, convalescent homes or convalescent care. 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 cannot be cared for at home. The nursing home facility nurses have the responsibilities of caring for the patients’ medical needs and also the responsibility of being in charge of other employees, depending on their ranks. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.
There are generally two types of care available in a nursing home: short-term rehabilitative care and long-term care for chronic conditions. Patients receiving rehabilitative care, most often due to an acute illness or surgery, may continue staying at the facility as a long-term care patient if they do not recover the ability to live in their previous environment. Usually, the long-term care units are in a separate area of the facility and the patient will have to change rooms.
In addition to rehabilitative therapies, most nursing homes are staffed to provide for daily medical needs and to accommodate patients who are bedbound or who
require significant assistance with some or all activities of daily living. If a patient experiences an acute illness or trauma the nursing home will contact local emergency services for treatment or hospitalization.
While medications can be administered at all levels of assistance, most nursing homes require that prescriptions and refills be filled by the nursing home staff, usually from a pharmacy of the nursing home’s choosing. Nursing homes can usually accommodate patients with mild to severe dementia but if a resident displays combative behavior, they may be discharged to another facility with a special unit for these patients.
Nursing homes, in addition to providing medical assistance and personal care, will often support social and community activities. Staff and recreational assistants are usually available to help those with physical or mental disabilities participate.
In a nursing home, you might have a choice between a private room or a semiprivate room. Rooms may have a private bathroom or the bathroom may be shared by two rooms. Meals are provided three times a day in a community setting or delivered to the patient’s room if required.