Baton Rouge Nursing Homes

Baton Rouge nursing homes administer around-the-clock medical treatment to seniors and patients without the ability to live independently. At nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities, professionals evaluate, observe and manage moderate to severe health conditions. Physicians, nurses, nursing aids, social workers, therapists and non-medical staff are present to give continuous monitoring and care for patients’ individual needs.

Many Baton Rouge skilled nursing facilities specialize in a certain condition, but the most general breakdown is of short-term and long-term care. Short-term care patients expect to quickly recover from an acute medical event, the most common being strokes, heart attacks, aneurisms and falls. Through a personalized path for recuperation that may include physical, occupational, respiratory and speech therapy, caregivers deliver rehabilitative services to help short-term patients move either back to their normal lives or to less inclusive care options. Long-term care is necessary for seniors and patients with serious medical conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and general physical decline. Doctors and nurses provide medical services and supplies for long-term patients. This can include medical procedures like intravenous fluids, blood work, wound treatment and colostomy bags. Non-medical caregivers keep long-term patients comfortable by helping with activities of daily living like dressing, washing, eating and walking. Social workers offer a level of social engagement by playing games with patients, talking with patients or aiding social interaction between patients. Some long-term patients will go on to need end of life care, but many see enough improvement in their health conditions to seek homemaker services or assisted living care.

Long-term care stays are often the result of an existing medical condition outgrowing a lower level of care. Short-term stays are mostly precipitated by acute medical crises requiring a hospitalization. During their hospital stay, the patient’s doctor will assess if there is need for further treatment in a nursing home. Some hospitals have SNF annexes, but if not, doctors and specialists are able to give informed recommendations on the best area facilities. Top notch hospital care will also aid a patient’s recovery. In Baton Rouge, the best area hospitals, based on patients' previous hospital experiences, are Baton Rouge General Medical Center and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

Baton Rouge nursing care costs fall very close to the Louisiana median level, well under the national average. Semi-private and private SNF room monthly costs are $4,258 and $4,803, respectively. Other senior care costs are also quite inexpensive. Assisted living care bedrooms cost $2,650 per month. Homemaker services, home health aide and adult day health care cost $2,765, $3,051 and $1,893 per month, respectively.

Many believe nursing homes to be a place where patients are given improper or abusive care. While there have been reports of these facilities, federal and state regulations are making nursing care safer. It is essential for prospective senior patients and their families to research area SNFs that meet their needs and to visit each of them to get a proper feel for the institution. Our site wants to help give seniors and their families as much information as possible so they can make a decision resulting in compassionate, dedicated and well-trained care that meets their financial, emotional and medical requirements.