Skilled Nursing Care
What is skilled nursing care?
Skilled nursing care is a type of medical care specializing in rehabilitation services for elderly patients and those living with disabilities. This type of care supports patients on a 24/7 basis to assist their transition from the hospital. Skilled nursing care can be either long-term or short-term.
Skilled nursing care helps across a variety of areas, such as:
- Wound care
- Medication management
- Cardiac and post-stroke rehabilitation
- Food preparation
- Speech, occupational and physical therapy
Additionally, skilled nursing care is usually offered in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) by many healthcare providers, including:
- Audiologists
- Registered nurses
- Physical therapists
- Licensed practical nurses
- Speech-language pathologists
- Certified nurses’ aides
- Nurse practitioners
Why is skilled nursing care important to healthcare?
Skilled nursing care is important because it helps elderly and physically disabled patients return home, thus greatly improving patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and quality of life. Skilled nursing care also reduces costs, the rate of hospital readmissions and the rate of post-discharge complications.