Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
MaineHealth has skilled nursing facilities where patients can get more care after a hospital stay. Skilled nursing facilities offer medical, rehab and other services. Most often patients go home after a hospital stay. Sometimes they may need more care and be discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Patients may need to stay in skilled nursing facilities after a hospital stay in order to fully recover.
What is a skilled nursing facility?
A skilled nursing facility is similar to a nursing home but offers more medical expertise and services. Patients receive skilled nursing and rehabilitation services to fully recover and regain independence. Conditions that may require a stay in a skilled nursing facility include:
- Recovery from joint replacement surgery
- Recovery process from a hospital stay due to illness or injury
- Stroke
Who provides care at skilled nursing facility?
Patients may receive care from:
- Registered nurse to give medications, monitor recovery, care for any wounds
- Physical therapist to help patients strengthen muscles and regain balance and control
- Occupational therapist to teach skills for doing everyday tasks
- Speech and language therapists to treat swallowing and communication problems.
Types of care at skilled nursing facilities
Some types of short-term or long-term care provided by skilled nursing facilities include:
- Stroke recovery - helping patients regain motor skills and speech functions
- Custodial care - helping patients with needs like bathing, dressing and eating
- General wound care - cleaning wounds and administering antibiotics for infection
- Acute conditions - services offered for health-threatening illness, infection or injury
- Terminal illness care - services offered along with hospice care for people living with terminal illness
- General rehabilitation - speech, physical, and occupational therapy and other services to help patients recover after an extended illness or invasive operation.
Skilled nursing facility services
Skilled nursing facilities provide a range of services depending on patient needs and available staff. Some services that insurance may cover at skilled nursing facilities include:
- Semi-private room (a room you share with other patients)
- Meals
- Skilled nursing care
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology services
- Medical social services
- Medications
- Medical supplies and equipment used in the facility
- Ambulance transportation
- Dietary counseling