A Skilled Nursing Facility (aka nursing home) is the highest level of care available for custodial long term care. This is an institutional setting with a hospital feel. Rooms may be private or shared (no more than four people sharing a room). A Nursing Facility should be a last resort for someone needing long term care. Usually, the residents living in a Nursing Facility have medical needs that can’t be met by lower levels of care.
Most Nursing Facilities have both Skilled (Rehab) and ICF (Intermediate Care Facility/ Custodial) levels of care. Skilled Care is for those who need rehabilitation or nursing services with the expectation of improvement and discharge from the Skilled Nursing to a lower level of care. The ICF level of care is for those who need long term custodial care.
Typically, the cost for this level of care is the highest of all Long Term Care options. The cost can range from $6000-$10,000 per month. Many residents in SNF’s have either Medicare or Medicaid coverage due to the significant costs. Long Term Care Insurance will typically cover ICF level of care.
Skilled Nursing Facilities are surveyed once a year by the state. The results of these inspections can be found at www.medicare.gov/nhcompare.
Key Benefits
- 24 hour nursing care
- May be covered by insurance
- Can accept the highest level of long term care
