Idaho Falls Nursing Homes Information

A team of skilled nursing professionals, including certified nursing assistants, registered and licensed nurses and doctors, non-medical personnel, food service workers, specialists, therapists and social service professionals, tend to the specific needs of every nursing care resident.

Residents of Idaho skilled nursing facilities pay a monthly cost that is close to the Idaho median. Private SNF rooms cost $6,692 per month, very near the state median. Semi-private SNF rooms run a monthly cost of $5,901, over $100 per month higher than the Idaho median level.

Nursing homes offer a wide range of services for the diverse care arrangements of many patients. Respite care and adult day health care are designed to assist family caregiver and in home care circumstances. Under respite care, patients enroll in nursing care for a short period to take pressure off the relationship between family caregivers and their patients. Adult day health care is mainly used by working caregivers who are not comfortable with leaving their patients alone in the daytime. This type of care is usually very socially oriented. Some facilities also offer specialized care programs that give treatment for medical conditions like dementia.

At its most general, nursing care can be broken down into two main categories, short-term and long-term care. While many area institutions only offer one general form, some are capable of admitting patients for both.

Patients under short-term care need rehabilitation services to mend the damaging effects of acute medical trauma like falls, operations, aneurisms, cardiac arrest or strokes. A short hospital stay usually precedes a short-term nursing stay. Quality hospital care can stimulate an effective recovery. Based on surveys for patients’ hospital experiences in Idaho Falls, patients will get the best acute care at Mountain View Hospital and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Newly admitted short-term residents are assessed by nursing professionals. Patients are set on a personalized path that looks to regain certain functions or strength. Auditory, respiratory, speech, occupational and physical therapy are used to restore patients to a point where they can move to a less comprehensive level of care. The most frequent destinations for discharged short-term patients are assisted living facilities and in home residential care.

Long-term care gives coordinated, extensive and responsive treatment to residents who have medical conditions like emphysema, cancer, vision impairment, quadriplegia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes mellitus. Patients with severe mental health illnesses usually stay in a closed wing to prevent them from straying off. Long-term residents’ illnesses require continuous monitoring. All facility caregivers are part of a network that works to maximize patients’ chances for recovery. Nurses and doctors supervised patients courses of treatment and perform medical procedures like wound care, tracheostomies, CPR, ventilator management, enteral feeding tubes and indwelling urinary catheter care. Non-medical personnel have the responsibility of assisting patients with hygiene and custodial care needs. Leisure, relaxation and psychosocial well-being are supported through the efforts of social and recreational workers who try to give residents many opportunities for interaction and self-care. Nursing homes hold daily events, trips and activities to benefit all patients' social welfare.

Transitioning to a nursing home is a very emotionally stressful decision for many seniors and their families. Even though nearly 70 percent of seniors over 65 will need some length of long-term care in their lifetime, it is still a harrowing experience. Family members of patients who have progressive or terminal illnesses will be forced to confront the possibility their loved one may pass away. Grief and bereavement support help family cope with the loss of a family member. Counselors are present to assist families with financial matters and their own health after the death of a family member. Nursing homes understand that everyone’s response to death is different and try to recognize each person's unique situation.