All About Skilled Nursing Facilities

Some Nursing Home History

Nursing homes have been around for a long time. You may have an image in your head of a large, hospital-like building with shiny linoleum floors and bleached white walls where unkempt residents roam unchecked. Fortunately, this kind of nursing home is all but extinct in the United States. By the early 1990s, people were beginning to tire of sending their loved ones to such places and started to revolutionize the way residents experience senior care nursing homes. Now, though the hospital feel can be difficult to mask when federal regulations require the regular placement of nurse’s booths and aid stations, great strides have been made to ensure that those who retire to skilled nursing facilities can do so in an appropriate, home-like environment.

Senior Care, Nursing Homes and Home Care

Walking, or wheeling, into an assisted living home or skilled nursing facility for the first time can be overwhelming for your loved one as well as for the whole family. You want to find that "perfect fit" facility that fits your loved one’s personality, needs and lifestyle. You want a community that offers comfort, social opportunities, privacy and true interest in each individual resident. But you also need to keep in mind details like budgeting and long-term planning. Starting out with a good idea of the type of care your loved one needs and the kind of homes that will best serve him will give you a leg up in the process.

For help determining your loved one’s needs, see the following senior care nursing home articles:

• Finding the Right Level of Elder Care
• Nursing Home vs. Assisted Living
• Nursing Home vs. Home Care
• Nursing Home Facilities for Veterans

The ABCs of Skilled Nursing Facilities

If you’ve determined that a nursing home is the right place for your loved one, it’s time to embark upon the involved process of finding and vetting potential skilled nursing facilities. Our trained elder care advisors can help you with the process. In addition, knowing important information such as state licensing regulations and senior care terminology will give you confidence as you start the process.


To learn the basics of senior care, terminology and credentialing, see these helpful articles:

• State Nursing Home Licensing Information
• Glossary of Senior Care Terms

We know you can turn this difficult choice into one of the best decisions you ever make. Browse through this senior care nursing home guide to get started. And as always, feel free to let us do the leg work for you, one-on-one and free of charge! Simply call the toll-free number at the top of this page and a professional elder care advisor will walk you through the process from beginning to end.

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004 National Nursing Home Survey.