Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Facility Care

Nursing facilities provide both short and long term care services for older adults and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. 

Of the over 120,000 people Mass Senior Care members care for annually, close to two-thirds return to their community within one month after a brief, post-hospital, rehabilitative stay.  With ever shortening hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities have become the preferred choice for discharged hospital patients who need short-term transitional care before they can return safely to their homes.  Those who cannot live safely and comfortably at home receive precisely the care and community they need as long term residents of Massachusetts’ nursing and rehabilitative facilities.

  • Short Term Care is available for individuals who have been hospitalized and need a period of medical monitoring and/or rehabilitation before returning home.  Often referred to as subacute or transitional care, this kind of care can be provided in a freestanding nursing facility or in one of a few hospital-based skilled nursing units. Most stays are for fewer than 30 days, after which the patient usually returns home.  This kind of care can be beneficial after a surgery or a prolonged hospitalization, or for rehabilitation following a stroke or other serious medical event. 

     
  • Long Term Care is available for people who are unable to live safely and comfortably at home, require 24-hour nursing care and support, and need help with many of the activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, toileting and bathing. When considering long term nursing facility care, it is important to discuss the issue thoroughly with the person involved and his or her personal physician before the situation becomes an emergency.  Finding the right facility can take time, and since some facilities have waiting lists, it helps to plan ahead so space will be available when it is needed.  

Among the services provided are:

  • 24-hour nursing care.
  • Rehabilitative care such as physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapy.
  • Help with personal care such as eating, dressing, toileting, and bathing.

In addition, a growing number of nursing facilities provide:

  • Post Operative Rehabilitative Care.
  • Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation.
  • Alzheimer’s/Dementia Specialty Care.
  • Respite Care.
  • Restorative and Residential Care for People with Multiple Sclerosis and Other Neurological Disorders.
  • Pediatric Specialty Care.
  • Acquired Brain Injury Specialty Care.

Resources: 

  • Massachusetts Senior Care Association- If you have more questions about the best care options for you or your loved one, please contact Mass Senior Care directly at info@maseniorcare.org or 1-800-CARE-FOR.