Comparing Skilled Nursing in a Senior Living Community to Traditional Nursing Homes
When someone needs 24/7 care, there may be a lot of pressure to make a quick decision based on limited information. When skilled nursing care is needed for a family member’s post-hospital recovery or ongoing care, you want to find a place you trust for 24/7 care and monitoring. When you start your search for a skilled nursing facility, it’s important to choose a place that’s comfortable, safe, and feels like home — where your loved one’s health care needs will be met by a friendly team of senior care providers.
Before choosing a nursing home or senior living community for yourself or your loved one, you should learn more about the differences in these two care settings.
What Is Skilled Nursing Care?
Skilled nursing is a level of care for those who need continuous care for medical needs and significant help with the tasks of daily living. This level of care may be needed for a short time after a hospital stay for rehabilitation, or for the long term in cases when a person’s chronic illness or disability requires the specialized care of skilled nursing. Examples of skilled nursing care include wound care, IV therapy, medication injection, and close monitoring of chronic health conditions. Skilled nursing care may be offered by nursing homes and select senior living communities like Walnut Place.
Nursing homes typically provide skilled nursing as the only level of care, and most residents are there for the long term. Residents may need extensive help with activities of daily living, and the focus of care is to provide assistance with dressing, grooming, bathing, and other daily tasks. They also receive the monitoring and care they need for any medical condition they may have. Nursing homes are staffed by nurses, nurse’s aides, social workers and dietitians. CNAs provide much of the care with oversight from an RN or LPN.
Skilled nursing care in a senior living community is offered as one of multiple levels of care. Residents may come for a short-term or long-term stay. Rehabilitative care is provided to help residents recover after an injury, illness or surgery. The goal of a short-term stay is to regain the ability to perform daily tasks with greater independence. When long-term care is needed, a team of professionals manages the resident’s health conditions and provides support to help them enjoy the best possible quality of life. Skilled nursing care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of doctors; registered nurses; CNAs; and licensed physical, occupational and speech therapists.
Choosing a Senior Living Community vs. a Nursing Home for Skilled Nursing
There’s a common misconception that nursing home care is the only option when someone needs 24/7 medical care. This may have been true for generations in the past, but it’s not the case today. Today’s seniors have more options than ever, and they don’t have to move into a nursing home if they need full-time residential care. Senior living communities offer skilled nursing care for those who want to be part of a vibrant community with all the comforts of home.
Let’s look at some key benefits of skilled nursing care at a senior living community like Walnut Place:
- Licensed and highly skilled providers. Our community offers 24-hour skilled nursing care provided by licensed nursing staff and an interdisciplinary team of senior care providers.
- A resident-centered approach. We get to know your loved one and develop a personalized care plan for their medical needs.
- Multiple levels of care. A full continuum of care is offered on the same campus, making it easy to transition to other levels of care if needed.
- A comfortable and caring atmosphere. Our community has a warm and inviting environment that feels more like home than a hospital stay.
- Life-enhancing amenities. Residents of a senior living community have access to a host of amenities and activities to enrich their daily lives, with opportunities to engage socially and thrive.
- Quality senior care services. Our skilled nursing program was ranked 5 stars in the category of “Quality Measures” by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Explore Skilled Nursing at Walnut Place
When you choose Walnut Place for your loved one’s skilled nursing needs, you can trust they’ll receive high-quality care in a setting that feels like home. They’ll have better experiences in a senior living community designed to inspire residents to live each day to the fullest. We invite you to see the difference for yourself and learn more about skilled nursing care at Walnut Place.
You Are Invited to Experience Our Community!
