El Paso nursing homes give residence, medical treatment, therapy and rehabilitative services to seniors and patients with specific health needs that cannot be fulfilled independently. Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities, have a professional team of personnel, including physicians, nurses, social workers, nursing assistants and therapists that continuously monitor patients. Many facilities specialize in medical issues like diabetes management, terminal illness care or Parkinson’s care. Each nursing home resident’s path of treatment falls under either short-term or long-term care. Some El Paso skilled nursing facilities offer both types of care, while many focus on one type.
Short-term care centers on rehabilitation following a hospital stay. The most common acute medical crises resulting in a short-term stay are strokes, aneurisms, heart attacks and falls. Physical, occupational, respiratory and speech therapists will work with individual health concerns to rebuild patients’ strength and function. Patients discharged from short-term care are in the position to seek assisted living or in home care options or can return to independent living. Long-term care patients receive advanced medical treatment for illnesses and impairments like dementia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and general physical decline. Medical personnel perform complicated medical procedures like blood work, IVs, wound care and medicine management. Nurses and nursing assistants help patients with activities of daily living, which include eating, dressing, bathing and walking. Non-medical staff deliver companionship through talking with patients, taking them on short trips, playing games and fostering a sense of independence and dignity.
Most long-term stays are the result of a decline in a known medical condition. Short-term stays are usually caused by a medical event that required a hospitalization. If the hospital stay is not enough for patients to fully recover, their doctors will have them admitted to a nursing home. The quality of hospital care patients receive is important because it is an integral part of their eventual recovery. In El Paso, the most quality hospital care can be found at El Paso Specialty Hospital, University Medical Center of El Paso and East El Paso Physicians Medical Center.
The cost of nursing care and other forms of senior care in El Paso falls under the national average. Private and semi-private SNF rooms cost $5,270 and $4,264 per month, respectively. Assisted living facility rooms cost $2,225 per month. Both homemaker services and home health aide cost $2,526 per month. Adult day health care bears a monthly cost of $823.
Around 70 percent of seniors over 65 will need long-term care in their life. However, the need for care will often sneak up on seniors and their families. One of the toughest challenges for finding care is its high cost. Not all long term insurance plans will cover the full cost of nursing care. If you are on Medicare, it is vital to remember that the program will only cover 100 days of a nursing stay during one benefit period. Those on Medicaid will have to find a facility that accepts its coverage. Our site wants to help inform seniors and their loved ones about all the complex aspects of nursing care. They deserve to be able to find the quality care that meets their financial and emotional needs.