What Is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care refers to a comprehensive range of medical, personal, and social services coordinated to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of people who are chronically ill or disabled. A nursing home facility may be the best choice for people who require 24-hour medical care and supervision.

What Type of Care Do Nursing Homes Provide?

Nursing homes offer the most extensive care a person can get outside a hospital. Nursing homes offer help with custodial care -- like bathing, getting dressed, and eating -- as well as skilled care. Skilled nursing care is given by a registered nurse and includes medical monitoring and treatments.

How Can I Find the Right Nursing Home?

Finding the right nursing home takes time. It is important to begin the search for a suitable nursing home well in advance of seeking admission to the facility. There are often long waiting periods for available accommodations. Planning ahead also can make the transition of moving into a nursing home much easier.

About Nursing Homes

A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing facility (SNF), care home, rest home or intermediate care provides a type of residential care. It is a place of residence for people who require continual nursing care and have significant difficulty coping with the required activities of daily living. Nursing aides and skilled nurses are usually available 24 hours a day.

Residents include the elderly and younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Residents in a skilled nursing facility may also receive physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative therapies following an accident or illness. Some nursing homes assist people with special needs, such as Alzheimer patients.

Residents may have specific legal rights depending on the nation the facility is in.

Before the Industrial Revolution, elderly care was largely in the hands of the family who would support elderly relatives who could no longer do so themselves. Charitable institutions and parish poor relief were other sources of care.

Nursing homes offer the most extensive care a person can get outside a hospital. Nursing homes offer help with custodial care—like bathing, getting dressed, and eating—as well as skilled care given by a registered nurse and includes medical monitoring and treatments. Skilled care also includes services provided by specially trained professionals, such as physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists

Features included

  • 3 Chef-prepared meals daily and restaurant style dining
  • Dynamic calendar of activities, outings and Watercrest Institute classes
  • Salon and Spa Services on-site
  • Coastal Living design complete with pool, verandas, and outdoor living spaces
  • Spacious apartments with washer, dryer, and kitchenettes
  • 24-hour licensed staffing and world class personal care
  • Wellness programs
  • Pet friendly environment
  • A state-of-the-art wireless resident call system
  • Medication management available
  • Preventative health screenings
  • High apartment ceilings and spa showers
  • Transportation services seven days per week
  • Housekeeping services
  • Maintenance services
  • Utilities and cable included
  • Move-in coordination
  • Respite stay accommodations

SENIOR Magazine presents Nicole A Morgan, OTR, First Texas Home Health discussing Transitioning from Hospital to Home

in Archive
Created: 01 June 2016

Admission and discharge from any hospital can be stressful, intimidating and sometimes life altering. Many decisions must be made when you or your loved one is ready to come home. Case managers are in place within the healthcare system to assist families and their loved ones with discharge planning and can answer questions about the discharge process while the patient is still in the hospital.

Discharge planning is a part of hospital, inpatient rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing and long term care facilities. So what exactly is it? Medicare defines discharge planning as a process used to decide what a patient needs for a smooth transition from one level of care to another. How transition is handled is critical to the health and well being of the patient. Ideally the process of learning how to transition home should begin at admittance to the hospital and should involve the patient, family and healthcare providers.