What is Skilled Nursing Facility Care and Why Is It Important?

A skilled nursing facility is a care center that offers patients short-term, professional care and rehabilitation services following a stay in an acute-care hospital. Patients in these facilities are medically complex, sometimes with many advanced chronic conditions. Patients with recent acute illnesses in these facilities are primarily dependent on caregivers. Most individuals have described skilled nursing facilities as temporary in-patient rehabilitation and treatment centers that feature registered nurses and other medical experts. The main difference between skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes is that nursing homes are more often permanent residences for individuals in need of custodial care. In contrast, skilled nursing facilities are temporary residences for patients undergoing rehabilitation treatments. However, some researchers have suggested that skilled nursing facilities can offer long-term professional care interventions for complex medical conditions.

The services offered by Skilled Nursing Facilities includes dietary services appropriate to each person’s needs, pharmaceutical services, medically related social services, custodial care (such as assistance with personal care activities and meals), rehabilitation services (occupational, speech, and physical therapy), and skilled nursing care (for instance, the care that can be given only by licensed, registered vocational nurse or ordered by a physician). There are also services such as injections, IV therapy or maintenance, and wound care. In this blog, we will discuss why skilled nursing facility care is so important, and how to make your facility stand out from the rest. 

Benefits of Skilled Nursing Facilities

Comprehensive Service Offerings 

Skilled nursing facilities offer a more comprehensive range of personal and health services for individuals with mental or physical conditions who need assistance. The patients may need help with meal preparation, physical mobility, laundry, medications, and pharmaceutical services. These facilities are essential as they provide a positive quality of life to individuals that need wound care, assistance with daily living activities, medical management, and other conditions. For instance, patients at Northland Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Kansas, Missouri benefit from various emotional, medical, and physical support services. When recovering from surgery or illness, an individual has many decisions to make concerning care during recovery. In general, surgeons or physicians analyze plans for care after hospitalization and present options. However, an individual’s medical team may encourage the patient to move from a hospital to an in-patient, skilled nursing facility due to the range of personal health services offered. 

Access to Health Professionals 

Living in a skilled nursing facility can benefit in many ways, such as peace of mind, nutrition support, social outlets, medication management, and in-house therapies and activities. Healthy diet maintenance is vital to recovering from a hospital stay, and is crucial to rehabilitating a patient so that they can return home. The individual’s recovery stage after injury, illness, or surgery is crucial as it enables them to regain their independence and strength. In skilled nursing facilities, the chefs and dietitians provide healthy, flavorful meals and snacks that support rehab goals. Also, individuals living without social engagement can get depressed quickly or feel isolated. These facilities have professional teams that help individuals find activities they can enjoy

with people who share their interests.

Medication Assistance

A large number of skilled nursing facility patients are usually challenged to continue taking their medication safely and on time. Skilled nursing facilities have identified this problem and assist in managing medications during an individual’s stay at the facility. The assistance includes hiring medication management professionals who aid in keeping a schedule so that all patients receive their medications in a timely and effective manner. 

In-house Activities

Another advantage of living in a skilled nursing facility is that an individual experiences in-house therapies and activities. It should be understood that keeping individuals’ bodies moving is a vital element of their remaining health as they grow and rehabilitate. After a severe injury, prolonged illness, or surgery, the majority of patients seem to become less active or are worried about resuming their active lifestyle as they had before. To help these patients, skilled nursing facilities provide therapeutic services and exercise programs to assist them in returning to the activities they love in a safe and in a healthy way.

The benefits of skilled nursing facilities have been clearly identified by healthcare professions. Any patient who enters a skilled nursing facility is provided with an initial assessment and the ongoing assessment to determine the medications, mental and physical health, and the capability to handle activities of daily living such as getting dressed or bathing. Skilled nursing facilities provide a positive quality of life to individuals that need wound care, assistance with daily living activities, medical management, speech, and other conditions. 

The showd.me Difference

showd.me offers “compliance-as-a-service” training solutions for skilled nursing staff including Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). We know that in order for your skilled nursing facility to give the most advantageous care to patients, training must be an integral part of your operations. Whether your skilled nursing facility needs remote onboarding and orientation assistance, annual in-service compliance training, or individualized courses specific to your facility, showd.me has the solution for you! For more information on how to get started, click here.