St Joseph Nursing Homes Information

The varying needs of nursing patients are encompassed under the two general categories of care, long-term and short-term care. Some St Joseph skilled nursing facilities serve the specialized care needs of patients with specific medical conditions, like spinal injuries or dementia.

Short-term care admits patients who are recovering from strokes, heart attacks, aneurisms, falls, surgeries or other acute medical incidents. About 75 percent of short-term nursing patients come from a hospital stay. The main goal of this type of care is to rehabilitate patients to a level of health where they can move to less inclusive care. It is an intermediate form of care that bridges the gap between hospital care and lower levels of care. Patients follow a professionally designed plan of recovery that is usually based around various rehabilitation services like occupational, respiratory, speech or physical therapy. Discharged short-term patients frequently transfer to assisted living or in home residential care to fully recover.

Hospital care can set a proper foundation for a patient’s recovery process. It is important for future short-term patients to receive the best possible hospital care they can, under the circumstances. The most quality health care services in St Joseph, based on patients’ hospital experiences, are offered by Heartland Regional Medical Center.

Long-term care concentrates on restoring or stabilizing the health of patients who have moderate to severe mental or physical impairments. Patients are admitted for illnesses like Parkinson’s, cancer, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease or general decline due to advanced age. Long-term care is often sought because patients are experiencing a decline in the state of their existing condition. Individualized care is delivered by caregivers who collaborate and cooperate to give patients the best possible courses of action for the complex and elaborate needs. Doctors and nurses administer medical skills like regular check-ups, medication adjustments, injections, colostomies, tracheostomies, wound care and intravenous therapy. Non-medical staff assist patients with general hygiene and activities of daily living like washing, dressing, eating and walking. Social workers attempt to give patients a level of companionship by getting to know patients through everyday socialization.

Nursing care costs in the St Joseph area are well below the national average and a good amount below the Missouri median level. Private SNF rooms cost $4,426 per month, over $200 per month under the state median. Semi-private skilled nursing facility accommodations cost $3,878 per month, nearly $400 per month less than the Missouri median.

Although nearly 70 percent of seniors over 65 will need to stay under long-term care in their lifetime, many do not fully prepare or plan for the massive out of pocket costs that they may have to incur. Nursing care is not covered under traditional health insurance. While many people qualify for Medicare or Medicaid or have the available funds or foresight to buy long-term care insurance, about 50 percent of residents do not. Depending on the severity of a patient’s diagnosis, they may be forced to deplete all their saving to pay for nursing care until they become eligible for Medicaid. It is essential for seniors and their families to understand the complexities of nursing care so they can properly plan for the high cost of prolonged treatment.