Bismarck Nursing Homes Information

They are overseen by a multidisciplinary team of nursing professionals, which includes registered nurses, certified nursing assistances, physicians, case workers, therapists, non-medical staff and specialists.

Nursing care costs in North Dakota are above the national average and rising at a five year annual growth rate of 10 percent. Bismarck skilled nursing facilities bear monthly costs that sit over $800 per month above the North Dakota median level. Semi-private and private SNF rooms cost $7,578 and $7,160 per month, respectively.

Area nursing homes offer many different services that assist patients and their families with challenging aspects of elderly and disabled care. Respite care and adult day health care help family caregivers mitigate some of the stresses that are associated with caring for a loved one at home. Respite care allows patients temporary stays to give family caregivers a break. Adult day health care helps keep patients socially engaged when family caregivers are away at work during the day. Specialized care programs are also available at certain nursing facilities. They have expert equipment and resources to treat specific medical conditions like Alzheimer’s. The two broadest forms of care are short-term and long-term care.

Short-term care usually consists of rehabilitation efforts for patients who were funneled from a hospital stay to a nursing facility after having an acute medical event. Before arriving at nursing care, patients receive hospital care for a few days. Their doctor must conclude that they need to seek a nursing home visit to be admitted. Quality health care services can aid the effectiveness of future courses of treatment. The best hospitals in Bismarck, based on patients’ hospital experiences, are MedCenter One and St. Alexius Medical Center. When patients are admitted to a short-term stay, they are put on a path of recovery that helps them regain and rebuild previously lost strength and functioning. Physical and cognitive problems are worked on through auditory, respiratory, speech, occupational and physical therapy sessions. Short-term care’s main objective is to bridge the gap between hospital care and a lower level of care. Patients typically transfer to assisted living or in home residential care after a short-term stay.

Long-term care patients need extended treatment for chronic, terminal, progressive and serious illnesses or diseases like diabetes mellitus, dementia, congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, Parkinson’s and paraplegia. Patients may be moderately to severely mentally impaired or may have diseases that require aggressive courses of treatment. Nursing home caregivers are prepared to meet the extensive needs of each long-term patient. Doctors, nurses and nursing assistants are present 24/7 for the performance of medical procedures like dialysis, medication adjustment, respiratory therapy, tracheostomies, injections and indwelling urinary catheter care. Non-medical personnel are responsible for assisting patients with basic hygiene and custodial care needs like dressing, grooming, washing, mobility and traveling and taking meals. Social workers give patients the opportunity to partake in leisure, relaxation and productive activities that keep them independent and mentally sound.

A recent problem in the industry is the decision many make to seek assisted living care instead of nursing care. Many seniors and their families do not believe they or their loved ones need skilled nursing care or are apprehensive about the loss of social freedom or lack of independence. While assisted living care is appropriate for patients who need marginal levels of care, it is not appropriate for complicated and serious medical conditions. Assisted living facilities do not have the equipment or personnel necessary to see to the complex needs of those patients. In the case of medication, assisted living facilities in some states are not allowed to directly administer medication to patients. Instead, they must hand patients their medicine and can only advise patients to take it. For patients with mental health problems, they may forget to take their medicine or even think they do not need it. This problem is generally evidenced by the fact that nursing homes are the most common destinations for patients leaving an assisted living establishment.