Eugene Nursing Homes Information

Many area nursing homes contain expert care units for the treatment of specific diagnoses, such as memory loss or kidney disease. Eugene skilled nursing facilities also provide the basic amenities of short-term and long-term care. Some facilities have the capability to accommodate patients in need of either type of care.

Short-term care exists to aid patients in need of rehabilitation from aneurisms, heart attacks, falls, strokes and other acute medical events. 75 percent of short-term visits are preceded by a hospitalization. During short-term care, nursing professionals work closely with patients and their families to design a course of treatment that will quickly and effectively get them to a certain level of health. These plans will give patients personalized access to physical, respiratory, occupational and speech therapies. Discharged short-term patients receive guidance to find suitable assisted living or in home care options.

Hospital care is the important initial component of a short-term patient’s medical care. Informed physicians and specialists can also give patients recommendations and referrals to area nursing homes with reputations for quality care. The best Eugene area hospitals, based on patients' hospital experiences, are Sacred Heart University District and Sacred Heart Medical Center - Riverbend.

Long-term care concentrates on managing, observing and evaluating the health of patients with serious medical conditions. Often, long-term patients transition to nursing homes because they outgrew their previous type of care. Health problems like Alzheimer’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and general physical decline have complex symptoms that require collaborative and extensive forms of treatment. Doctors and nurses are there to give check-ups and continuous care. They also perform medical procedures like routine blood testing, wound care, intravenous therapy, injections and colostomies. Patients that need assistance with activities of daily living are treated by non-medical caregivers. Recreational officers provide a certain level of social stimulation throughout the home by coordinating events, activities, games, trips and dinners.

Eugene area nursing homes cost over $400 above the Oregon median. Private and semi-private SNF rooms cost $8,083 and $7,270 per month, respectively. Homemaker services and home health aide have monthly costs of $4,147 and $4,290, respectively. Assisted living facility bedrooms cost $4,362 per month.

Paying for nursing care is a substantial burden for many seniors and their families. Medicare insurance only covers 100 days of nursing stays in one benefit period. The last 80 days of that period are subject to a daily co-payment fee. Those with less assets and income may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid provides for a large percentage of the cost, although it is not accepted at all locations. Long-term care insurance has the biggest safety net of any coverage option.