Do all nursing homes provide the same type of care?
Nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities, care for individuals who require 24-hour nursing supervision. There are two types of care provided in nursing homes: • Skilled Care (also known as “sub-acute” or “Medicare occupancy”) • Long-Term Care (also known as “Intermediate Care”) Skilled Care entails services that can be rendered only by a doctor, licensed nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker or respiratory therapist. It usually follows a hospital visit involving a short-term stay, during which the patient receives nursing care and/or therapy until he or she is stable enough to return home. Due to the skilled nature of the care, it is covered by Medicare and secondary insurance for up to 100 days. Beyond that length of time, it must be paid for privately. (For more on payment, click here.) Long-Term Care is appropriate for the individual who can no longer take care of him or herself and will continue to require a high level of care for the remai
