The
following are some common questions people ask about skilled
nursing care and about our facilities. We're pleased to
provide the answers below. If you have questions regarding
BaneCare in specific or skilled nursing care in general,
we'd enjoy hearing from you. Email your questions to Ask
BaneCare.
What important factors
should I consider in choosing a nursing facility?
How will I know when I,
or someone I love, requires nursing care?
Who pays for skilled nursing
care?
How do residents spend
their days?
What
important factors should I consider in choosing a nursing
facility?
Certainly,
you will want to look at cleanliness, gauge the warmth
of the environment, and assess building comfort. But,
there are other important intangibles to consider. You
should look carefully at the owner of the facility. Is
this someone with whom you want to entrust the care of
your loved one? Try to evaluate the staff. Feel free to
speak with nurses and other staff members directly. Ask
them how long have they been working there and what types
of experience they have. Usually, a staff with longevity
indicates a commitment to the residents. Ask to sample
one of the meals. Would you want to eat the food? Of course,
if a home will not make a meal available for you, that
might be a warning sign! Use your eyes, your ears, and
your own voice when visiting a facility.
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How will
I know when I, or someone I love, requires nursing care?
We
find that many of our residents wish they had actually
come to stay with us sooner. Whether for assistance in
bathing and dressing, administration of daily medications,
help with personal hygiene or even simple issues of continence,
a skilled nursing home can be the answer to a senior’s
residential and health care needs. Isolated, lonely individuals
also appreciate the socialization and activities that
nursing facilities offer.
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Who pays
for skilled nursing care?
This
is always an important question. There are three main
sources of payment. Medicare, the federally funded program
pays for up to 100 days of skilled nursing care, and eligibility
is based strictly on medical need. The criteria for Medicare
eligibility are specific and rigorous. We find that typically,
a new resident receives anywhere from 14 to 50 days of
Medicare eligibility. At BaneCare Residences, we always
try to maximize the Medicare benefit for our residents.
After
Medicare eligibility has been utilized, the next payment
source is either private pay or Medicaid. Essentially,
a resident will pay privately unless they have qualified
for Medicaid. Medicaid is a state-funded program, which
can be used if a resident has exhausted his or her resources.
In effect, Medicaid is the payer of last resort. In addition,
some of our residents use their long-term care insurance
benefits to pay for their care.
Each
resident’s situation is different and can be very
complicated. Our admission counselors are well versed
in assisting our residents and their families in the intricacies
of payment.
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How do
residents spend their days?
Depending
on their abilities, residents can participate in a wide
range of therapeutic activities. For those residents who
are unable to participate in group activities, we take
special care to provide one-on-one activity programming
to meet each of our guest’s individual needs.
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