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Nursing Home Care
How to Find Nursing Home Care That's Right for You
What Is Nursing Home Care and Who Pays for It?
When You Call or Visit a Nursing Home
Compare Care: Medicare's Information About Quality
Getting Started with Medicare's Nursing Home Compare Web Site
What Is Nursing Home Care and Who Pays for It?
When people need more care than they can get at home or in the community, a nursing home may be the best choice. Nursing homes help residents with daily activities, like feeding, bathing, or dressing. They may also provide skilled medical care such as physical therapy or changing sterile dressings.
Nursing home care can be expensive and many types of health insurance don't cover it. People pay for nursing home stays out of pocket, with long-term care insurance, or through their state's Medicaid program. Medicare usually does not pay for nursing home care unless a person needs skilled medical care after certain hospital stays. Talk with your doctor, the hospital discharge planner, or the nursing home administrator for more information about paying for nursing home care.
When You Call or Visit a Nursing Home
Visiting a nursing home several times can help you make a decision. It is important to talk with residents of the nursing home and their family members. Use the following short checklist to help you decide whether the care meets your needs. Medicare's Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home (page 32) offers an expanded checklist.
- Does the nursing home accept Medicare and Medicaid?
- Ask to see the nursing home's last annual state inspection report. Did the report find any problems? Ask how the problems were fixed.
- Does the nursing home have an active resident and/or family council?
- Use your five senses. Is the home clean and free of odors? Is it pleasant?
- Does the staff treat residents with respect?
- Is there information posted on how to reach the ombudsman?
- Do the residents have the same staff on a daily basis?
- Is there enough staff available to assist residents?
- Does the staff respond quickly to residents' calls for help?
Compare Care: Medicare's Information About Quality
Making a decision about nursing home care can be difficult, but there are resources in your community that can help you. Nursing Home Compare at www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Home.asp is one tool that can help you make an informed decision. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Nursing Home Compare can tell you how well local nursing homes care for their residents in several important areas:
Chronic-care Measures Long-term Residents:
- Daily activities (feeding, bathing, dressing)
- Time spent in bed or in a chair
- Ability to move around the room
- Physical restraints
- Control of bowels or bladder
- Catherter use
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Moderate to severe pain
- Pressure sores
- Depression or anxiety
- Weight loss
Post-acute-care Measures Short-stay Residents:
- Moderate to severe pain during their first seven days in the nursing home
- Confusion
- Pressure sores
Getting Started with Medicare's Nursing Home Compare Web Site
Getting information about the quality of local nursing homes is easy. First, know what services you (or your loved one) will need and find information on Nursing Home Compare:
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Step 1: Find Nursing Homes in your area. Search by name, city, county, state, or ZIP code.
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Step 2: Compare the quality of the nursing Homes you're considering using the Five-Star Quality Ratings, health inspection results, nursing home staff data, quality measures, and fire safety inspection results.
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Step 3: Visit the nursing homes you're considering or have someone visit for you. Use the Nursing Home Checklist and other resources available under “Additional information."
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Step 4: Choose the nursing home that best meets your needs. Talk to your doctor or other health care practitioner, your family, friends, or others about your nursing home choices. Contact the Long-Term Ombudsman or State Survey Agency before you make a decision (look under "Helpful Contacts" on Nursing Home Compare).
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Sometimes, decisions about nursing home care must be made quickly and there may not be many nursing homes to choose from. Some nursing homes may not have space for new residents. Even when a person doesn't have many choices, families and friends can use the information on Nursing Home Compare to monitor their loved one's care and talk about questions or concerns with nursing home staff.
Click here for a list of materials and tools.
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