Types of care
Skilled nursing care
Skilled nursing care is nursing and therapy that only licensed professionals, or staff supervised by them, can safely provide. Examples include wound care, injections, and physical therapy. A doctor orders it. It can happen at home or in a facility, and Medicare covers it only in set situations.
Why it matters for your family
Skilled care is medical, so it differs from the non-medical help most home care companies offer. Families sometimes need both. A nurse may dress a surgical wound twice a week while a caregiver helps with meals and bathing. Medicare can cover part-time or intermittent skilled nursing at home when a person qualifies. It also covers short stays in a skilled nursing facility after a qualifying hospital stay. A common mistake is expecting Medicare to pay for the daily non-medical help that follows. Ask the doctor or discharge planner exactly which services count as skilled.
Source: medicare.gov
Related terms
- Skilled nursing facility (SNF)A skilled nursing facility (SNF) is a Medicare-certified facility that provides nursing and therapy that only professionals can safely give.
- Home health careHome health care is medical care given at home for an illness or injury, such as skilled nursing and therapy.
- Registered nurse (RN)A registered nurse (RN) is a licensed nurse who assesses patients, gives medicines and treatments, helps make care plans, and teaches patients and families how to manage illness at home.
- Licensed practical nurse (LPN)A licensed practical nurse (LPN), called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in some states, gives basic medical care, such as monitoring vital signs, changing bandages, and helping with bathing and dressing.
- Discharge planningDischarge planning is the process a hospital, nursing home or other facility uses to prepare a patient to leave.
- Custodial careCustodial care is non-medical help with daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and using the toilet.
