Skilled Nursing Facility - SNF
Skilled Nursing Facility/Home Care and Rehabilitation communities present an atmosphere that is calm and comfortable. We listen to your needs, understand the life you want for yourself or your loved one, then customize a solution that puts that life within reach. Whether you are in need of a short-term or long-term care stay, skilled nursing homes are designed to promote nursing and rehabilitation in a high-quality and compassionate environment.
As residents’ conditions progress and they move through different care levels, our staff works with their families and their physicians to transition them to the most appropriate senior care setting. Each resident’s short- or long-term care is customized for their individual needs and preferences.
As residents’ conditions progress and they move through different care levels, our staff works with their families and their physicians to transition them to the most appropriate senior care setting. Each resident’s short- or long-term care is customized for their individual needs and preferences.
Skilled nursing home care frequently begins with an on-site assessment at the hospital and continues through an initial conference and discharge planning. Our licensed professionals are available to answer questions and address the concerns that you and your family may have.
Our senior care centers provide a wide range of services, plus we offer assisted living, retirement living and skilled nursing homes for every level of need.
Our senior care centers provide a wide range of services, plus we offer assisted living, retirement living and skilled nursing homes for every level of need.
When skilled nursing care is needed:
- Rehabilitation care due to fractures or joint replacements
- General wound care
- Acute medical conditions
- Interim medical care following a hospital stay
- Respiratory care
- Parkinson’s care
- Terminal illness care (in cooperation with hospice)
- Stroke recovery
- General rehabilitation due to weakness or physical decline
- Diabetic rehabilitation
Skilled Nursing Facilities also known as (SNF) have changed dramatically over the past several decades. These changes have been driven by government regulations and consumer pressures. Today’s SNF’s are highly regulated, high-quality facilities for the care and treatment of older adults who have severe physical health and/or mental disabilities.
Skilled Nursing Facilities are normally the highest level of care for older adults outside of a hospital. SNF’s provide custodial care, which includes getting in and out of bed, and providing assistance with feeding, bathing, and dressing. However, nursing homes differ from other senior housing facilities in that they also provide a high level of medical care.
Skilled Nursing Facilities are normally the highest level of care for older adults outside of a hospital. SNF’s provide custodial care, which includes getting in and out of bed, and providing assistance with feeding, bathing, and dressing. However, nursing homes differ from other senior housing facilities in that they also provide a high level of medical care.
Nursing homes, or skilled nursing home care facilities, provide round-the-clock nursing care and significant assistance with the activities of daily life. Nursing homes have nursing staff on duty 24 hours a day to help individuals meet their daily physical, social and psychological needs. A licensed physician supervises each resident’s care and therapy including speech, occupational, and physical therapy are available to provide rehabilitation services.
What Services Do Nursing Homes Offer
The services a SNF offers vary from facility to facility. Services often include:
The services a SNF offers vary from facility to facility. Services often include:
- Room and board
- Monitoring of medication
- Personal care (including dressing, bathing, and toilet assistance)
- 24-hour emergency care
- Social and recreational activities
If you're in a SNF but must be readmitted to the hospital, there's no guarantee that a bed will be available for you at the same SNF if you need more skilled care after your hospital stay. Ask the SNF if it will hold a bed for you if you must go back to the hospital. Also, ask if there's a cost to hold the bed for you.
How Can I Pay for Skilled Nursing Facility Care
As you and your family evaluate your long-term care needs, it's important to consider financing options. Payment for nursing home care can be made through Medicare, Medicaid (ALTCS), private insurance, and personal funds. When evaluating a SNF, it's important to ask the administrative staff what payment options they accept. Here's a brief summary of some of the financing options.
As you and your family evaluate your long-term care needs, it's important to consider financing options. Payment for nursing home care can be made through Medicare, Medicaid (ALTCS), private insurance, and personal funds. When evaluating a SNF, it's important to ask the administrative staff what payment options they accept. Here's a brief summary of some of the financing options.
- Private long-term care insurance is a health insurance option that, if purchased, supplements Medicare coverage. Private long-term care insurance policies vary greatly. Each policy has its own eligibility requirements, restrictions, costs, and benefits.
- Medicare is a federal health insurance program providing health care benefits to all Americans age 65 and over. Insurance protection intended to cover major hospital care is provided without regard to income. Medicare will only provide 100 days of nursing care and only if a person requires skilled care and is referred by a doctor when discharged from the hospital. If a person needs custodial care alone, Medicare won't cover it. Medicare only pays for skilled care in a nursing facility that has a Medicare license.
How Medicare Pays for a SNF Stay
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers skilled nursing care provided in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) under certain conditions for a limited time.
Medicare-covered services include, but aren't limited to:
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers skilled nursing care provided in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) under certain conditions for a limited time.
Medicare-covered services include, but aren't limited to:
- Semi-private room (a room you share with other patients)
- Meals
- Skilled nursing care
- Physical and occupational therapy*
- Speech-language pathology services*
- Medical social services
- Medications management
- Medical supplies and equipment used in the facility
- Ambulance transportation (when other transportation endangers health) to the nearest supplier of needed services that aren’t available at the SNF
- Dietary counseling
Who's eligible
People with Medicare are covered if they meet all of these conditions:
People with Medicare are covered if they meet all of these conditions:
- You have Part A and have days left in your benefit period.
- You have a qualifying hospital stay.
- Your doctor has decided that you need daily skilled care given by, or under the direct supervision of, skilled nursing or therapy staff. If you're in the SNF for skilled rehabilitation services only, your care is considered daily care even if these therapy services are offered just 5 or 6 days a week, as long as you need and get the therapy services each day they're offered.
- You get these skilled services in a SNF that's certified by Medicare.
- You need these skilled services for a medical condition that was either:
- A hospital-related medical condition.
- A condition that started while you were getting care in the SNF for a hospital-related medical condition.
Your doctor may order observation services to help decide whether you need to be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient or can be discharged. During the time you're getting observation services in the hospital, you're considered an outpatient—you can't count this time towards the 3-day inpatient hospital stay needed for Medicare to cover your SNF stay. Find out if you're an inpatient or an outpatient.
Some common hospital situations that may affect your SNF coverage are:
Situation
You came to the Emergency Department (ED) and were formally admitted to the hospital with a doctor’s order as an inpatient for 3 days. You were discharged on the 4th day.
You came to the ED and spent one day getting observation services. Then, you were formally admitted to the hospital as an inpatient for 2 more days.
Situation
You came to the Emergency Department (ED) and were formally admitted to the hospital with a doctor’s order as an inpatient for 3 days. You were discharged on the 4th day.
- Yes. You met the 3-day inpatient hospital stay requirement for a covered SNF stay.
You came to the ED and spent one day getting observation services. Then, you were formally admitted to the hospital as an inpatient for 2 more days.
- No. Even though you spent 3 days in the hospital, you were considered an outpatient while getting ED and observation services. These days don’t count toward the 3-day inpatient hospital stay requirement.
Remember, any days you spend in a hospital as an outpatient (before you’re formally admitted as an inpatient based on the doctor’s order) aren’t counted as inpatient days. An inpatient stay begins on the day you’re formally admitted to a hospital with a doctor’s order. That’s your first inpatient day. The day of discharge doesn’t count as an inpatient day.
Note: If you refuse your daily skilled care or therapy, you may lose your Medicare SNF coverage. If your condition won't allow you to get skilled care (like if you get the flu), you may be able to continue to get Medicare coverage temporarily.
Note: If you refuse your daily skilled care or therapy, you may lose your Medicare SNF coverage. If your condition won't allow you to get skilled care (like if you get the flu), you may be able to continue to get Medicare coverage temporarily.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay:
If you stop getting skilled care in the SNF, or leave the SNF altogether, your SNF coverage may be affected depending on how long your break in SNF care lasts.
You pay:
- Days 1–20: $0 for each benefit period.
- Days 21–101: $161 coinsurance per day of each benefit period. (Medicare supplement plans covers the co-insurance)
- Days 101 and beyond: all costs.
If you stop getting skilled care in the SNF, or leave the SNF altogether, your SNF coverage may be affected depending on how long your break in SNF care lasts.
- If your break in skilled care lasts more than 30 days, you need a new 3-day hospital stay to qualify for additional SNF care. The new hospital stay doesn’t need to be for the same condition that you were treated for during your previous stay.
- If your break in skilled care lasts for at least 60 days in a row, this ends your current benefit period and renews your SNF benefits. This means that the maximum coverage available would be up to 100 days of SNF benefits.
