Skilled Nursing Facility

  • Skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers support ongoing recovery through nursing care and therapy. With teams of licensed practitioners that include registered nurses and therapists, these skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities provide short-term therapy, wound care, intravenous (IV) therapy, and monitoring of vital signs and symptoms.
  • A stay in a skilled nursing facility is generally short, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. During this time the focus of the rehabilitation services is on transitioning the patient from hospital to home.
  • Patients in a skilled nursing facility do not see a doctor everyday like in the hospital. The move to a skilled nursing facility is considered a transition to a reduced level of care as the patient continues to recover and transition from hospital to home; therefore, patients are medically stable and a physician is seen on admission, prior to discharge and intermittently during the stay.
  • There are many skilled nursing facilities to choose from and many things to consider when choosing a facility. It is a good idea to visit a facility first to evaluate the quality of the facility and personnel.
  • To help with the evaluation, here is a downloadable checklist.
  • For more information about Skilled Nursing Facilities, visit: CMS: Skilled Nursing Home Compare.
  • For a list of Preferred Primary Care Physicians Preferred Skilled Nursing Facilities, click here.