4 Myths About Nursing Homes Debunked
Nursing facilities receive a negative rap due to misguided beliefs about what facilities are like and what kinds of services they offer.
Individuals, guided by the fear of living out their last days in such a facility or having to consign their elderly family members, sometimes steer clear of senior centers.
The following are four myths about convalescent care facilities, all of which are debunked.
1.
All Senior Care Facilities Are Government Property According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the 15,700 nursing homes in the United States today, 68.
2 percent are for-profit facilities, meaning that they are private.
Though many of these facilities are secular, some are operated under religious affiliations.
Though a convalescent facility may be private, residents can still receive medical coverage and funding through public healthcare programs such as Medicaid.
Medicare actually offers only partial funding for nursing care facility costs.
Medicaid carries the brunt of these costs; it pays full coverage for roughly 70 percent of American residents today.
2.
Only the Elderly Live in Convalescent Facilities When one thinks "nursing home," the immediate association is "seniors, elderly, dementia," and so on.
The facts depict that these associations are not entirely accurate; about 35 percent of all nursing home residents are under the age of 65, and a small portion of that percentage is, in fact, comprised of sick children.
Individuals with physical and mental disabilities, victims of accidents who require rehabilitative care, and those who need round-the-clock supervision immediately after being released from a hospital make up that astonishing percentage.
The younger residents typically leave their home of choice after one to three months of convalescing.
3.
Private Rooms Cannot Be had at a Nursing Home In the past, it was certainly true that patients who lived in nursing facilities were forced to share rooms.
Having two to three beds per room was the common standard.
Now, though the number of licensed beds exceeds two million, residents have the option to occupy a private room.
This is especially beneficial for those who are used to living alone, as well as for those whose condition requires extra care or a lower risk of infection.
4.
Care Facilities Are More Expensive than Hospitals A day's stay at a nursing home costs only about a tenth of a one-day hospital stay, according to the 2011 Cost of Care survey conducted by Genworth Financial.
This includes the cost of 24-hour professional care as well as meals.
Convalescent facilities are a sound, affordable, and safe option for those who need full-time assistance and care.
Those who staff such centers do so because they care about those whom they assist; therefore, the bar is constantly being raised for quality and comfort.
Individuals, guided by the fear of living out their last days in such a facility or having to consign their elderly family members, sometimes steer clear of senior centers.
The following are four myths about convalescent care facilities, all of which are debunked.
1.
All Senior Care Facilities Are Government Property According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the 15,700 nursing homes in the United States today, 68.
2 percent are for-profit facilities, meaning that they are private.
Though many of these facilities are secular, some are operated under religious affiliations.
Though a convalescent facility may be private, residents can still receive medical coverage and funding through public healthcare programs such as Medicaid.
Medicare actually offers only partial funding for nursing care facility costs.
Medicaid carries the brunt of these costs; it pays full coverage for roughly 70 percent of American residents today.
2.
Only the Elderly Live in Convalescent Facilities When one thinks "nursing home," the immediate association is "seniors, elderly, dementia," and so on.
The facts depict that these associations are not entirely accurate; about 35 percent of all nursing home residents are under the age of 65, and a small portion of that percentage is, in fact, comprised of sick children.
Individuals with physical and mental disabilities, victims of accidents who require rehabilitative care, and those who need round-the-clock supervision immediately after being released from a hospital make up that astonishing percentage.
The younger residents typically leave their home of choice after one to three months of convalescing.
3.
Private Rooms Cannot Be had at a Nursing Home In the past, it was certainly true that patients who lived in nursing facilities were forced to share rooms.
Having two to three beds per room was the common standard.
Now, though the number of licensed beds exceeds two million, residents have the option to occupy a private room.
This is especially beneficial for those who are used to living alone, as well as for those whose condition requires extra care or a lower risk of infection.
4.
Care Facilities Are More Expensive than Hospitals A day's stay at a nursing home costs only about a tenth of a one-day hospital stay, according to the 2011 Cost of Care survey conducted by Genworth Financial.
This includes the cost of 24-hour professional care as well as meals.
Convalescent facilities are a sound, affordable, and safe option for those who need full-time assistance and care.
Those who staff such centers do so because they care about those whom they assist; therefore, the bar is constantly being raised for quality and comfort.
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