Nursing Homes

A nursing home is a type of extended care facility that provides non-acute medical care to its residents.  Nursing homes are also called skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or nursing facilities (NF).   Nursing homes can serve some key roles for older adults.  An older adult can be admitted to a SNF after being discharged from an acute care hospital for further medical treatment.  These post acute admissions are often covered by Medicare, if the patient was hospitalized for at least 3 days, and can last up to 100 days.  Nursing homes can also provide respite or inpatient hospice care.  In some states nursing homes can also act as adult day care facilities without additional licensing. 

The most common role of a nursing home is for the long-term care of older adults who require some medical care or support.  The majority of long-term residents of nursing homes are funded through state Medicaid programs.  Medicaid pays approximately $130 per day for a person to reside in one of the State's licensed nursing homes.  Medicare does not pay for the long-term care of residents in nursing homes. 

Choosing a nursing home is an important decision for you and your loved ones; making sense of the information for the most appropriate facilities can be a daunting task. Medicare.gov has a useful tool that contains information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. This information can be found at: Nursing Home Compare.