Blog post by Attorney Megan D. Strait
The term nursing home is often the term that people use when referring to loved ones who have transitioned from their primary residence to a facility; however, there are multiple levels of care that are typically offered at these facilities and nursing care is only one level. This article will explain the different levels of care at a facility as well as provide a brief overview of what should be better known as senior living.
The least restrictive level of care is most often referred to as independent living. Independent living provides healthy seniors with the option of simplifying their lives by living in a private home, apartment or cottage in a community that offers regular maintenance and certain amenities to make living easy. This type of living is best suited for those individuals who are still fully capable of caring for themselves.
The next level of care is personal care. This type of care becomes necessary, when an individual is no longer able to fully care for themselves, and is in need of assistance with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and housekeeping. This type of living allows an individual to still maintain some independence while having the peace of mind that help is there to accomplish the tasks that have become difficult.
Another level of care is known as assisted living. This type of care is very similar to personal care; however some of the key differences are that there needs to be a registered nurse on duty or on call at all times, and the living units need to be equipped with a refrigerator and microwave, whereas in personal care those are not required.
The highest level of care is known as skilled nursing care. Skilled nursing care is for those individuals who require 24-hour supervision and specialized medical care. There are nurses on staff that administer medications for the individuals in need of this care as well as other staff who assist these individuals with their activities of daily living, because they are no longer able to adequately do so.
If you or a loved one are considering a transition to senior living, the attorneys at Walters & Galloway are here to help assist with that transition.
