National Skilled Nursing Care Week

May 12 – 18, 2019, is National Skilled Nursing Care Week. The theme for the week this year is “Live soulfully.” The American Health Care Association created the observance as a chance for long-term care communities to emphasize the importance of skilled nursing within senior care centers.

Here are some other top priorities of many senior care communities today:

Providing quality care

The top goal of senior living communities is to give seniors the best possible care. This comes in the form of offering amenities such as:

Skilled 24-hour nursing for pain management, cardiac care, wound care, enteral nutrition, trach and pulmonary care and hospice services.
Short-term stays and rehabilitation are available for individuals who are recovering from an illness or injury and no longer need to stay at the hospital, but are not quite ready to return home yet. This is a wonderful option for people who will need physical rehabilitation and medical attention for a few weeks while they recover. They can undergo physical rehab to build strength and increase mobility. Occupational and speech therapies are also available. Nurses offer advanced wound care, and other medical assistance, and families can have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in capable hands during vulnerable times.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care are available for individuals with declining cognitive functions. Memory care communities offer important amenities to handle disease progression while maintaining the dignity of the residents. Communities create individual care plans that address each senior’s specific needs with their memory, safety and overall well-being in mind.
Long-term care is an excellent way for seniors to maintain some independence in a safe environment, when they are no longer able to live alone. Here, residents can live for years in home-like apartments and rooms where they have access to medical assistance as necessary.

Working with compassionate, devoted staff

Advanced healthcare wouldn’t be possible without talented healthcare professionals. Senior living communities make it a top priority to hire only people who provide the best possible care to their residents. Nurses and administrative staff are not just vetted for their certifications and experience. Personalities, working styles and passion for the job are incredibly important as well. Because these people interact with residents daily in more personal ways, it’s imperative that they truly love their jobs and enjoy working directly with residents and their families.

When loved ones come to visit, they too will meet these important caregivers who are so crucial to providing a positive senior living experience. Plus, employees may help families by discussing disease progression, providing health updates and just generally chatting about a resident’s well-being. It’s important for families to know their loved ones are in good hands.