Educational Articles

Changing the Face of Nursing Homes

When you hear the words "nursing home", what comes to your mind?

Do you think about a host of cutting-edge medical technologies delivered by highly trained and skilled nurses? Do you think about incredibly complex wounds which have previously failed to heal despite multiple interventions, ultimately resolving under the supervision of specialized wound care nurses? Or, maybe you think about innovative approaches to stroke rehabilitation performed by a team of expert physical, occupational, and speech therapists?

If these images do not come to mind when you hear "nursing home", then maybe it's time to take a closer look at the type of care these facilities are now able to offer.

Skilled Nursing Facilities

Gone are the days when nursing homes are only able to offer limited services such as assistance with daily living tasks, basic dressing changes, and medication management. Nursing homes, now more commonly known as skilled nursing facilities, continue to offer these services, but are capable of so much more, including:

• management of complicated IV therapies
• negative pressure wound dressings
• PICC lines
• surgical drain management
• ventilator and tracheostomy care

Services that were once offered in the hospital but are now offered in skilled nursing facilities have the added bonuses of a home-like environment and friendly, highly trained staff.

Nurses are able to communicate with providers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and obtain orders for labs, diagnostic imaging, and follow-ups which often prevent ER visits and potentially even costly hospital admissions.

Focused on the Future of Healthcare

Healthcare is changing at a rapid pace and skilled nursing facilities have readily adapted by offering clinically complex services and employing highly skilled professionals that are ready and willing to take on the complexities of today's patient.

So, the next time you are considering hospital discharge options, choose the option with a proven track record of excellent rehabilitation outcomes. Choose the option which has successfully partnered with a host of healthcare providers, wound clinics, and other experts in the field. Choose Dove Healthcare. You'll be glad you did.