Some older adults encounter health challenges as they age that require hospitalization, such as an illness, injury, surgery, or another major health event. What you do during the recovery process afterward is critical to regaining your health and independence.Skilled nursing and rehabilitation care are short-term care solutions that provide a range of highly specialized acute care and therapies designed to help seniors make a full recovery.

The Benefits of Skilled Nursing

Skilled nursing is ideal for those who need temporary specialized or rehabilitative care. While some may opt for at-home rehabilitation as they recover, staying in a skilled nursing community can offer much greater benefits.

Insurance Coverage 

Since skilled nursing is intended as temporary rehabilitative care, it’s usually at least partially covered by medical insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid). Your coverage will vary according to your specific plan, however, insurance coverage can provide peace of mind when choosing a care solution.

Around-the-Clock Medical Attention

Seniors are at a higher risk for complications and rehospitalization following a health event or surgery. In addition, many older adults have pre existing chronic conditions such as dementia, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more, which can make the recovery process more involved.A key benefit of staying in a skilled nursing and rehabilitation community is that older adults receive continual, around-the-clock care and monitoring along with pain management to ensure you’re healthy and comfortable as you recover. At a skilled nursing community, you will be cared for by a team of on-site licensed medical professionals, including therapists, nurses, and certified nursing assistant (CNA). Skilled nursing communities provide nurses and CNAs 24/7.

Specialized Therapy 

The recovery period after a major health event is critical to ensuring you regain full health. With that said, skilled nursing communities often have a team of licensed medical experts that specialize in different health issues, ranging from cardiac to neurological to orthopedic, and beyond. The healthcare team will have a recovery plan in place that may include a variety of physical, occupational, and speech therapies conducted by certified therapists.

Skilled Nursing Compared To Other Types of Care: Which Should You Choose? 

Independent living, long-term care (which can be provided in assisted living), memory care, and skilled nursing offer different levels of care and services. The level of care you choose will depend on your unique situation.Independent living is a great option for seniors looking to connect with a community of people in a similar life stage and benefit from the community’s convenient amenities and services. Assisted living is a long-term living option that’s designed to give seniors assistance should they need extra help managing day-to-day tasks while also enabling them to keep their independence and find a sense of belonging. Memory care communities provide those with memory impairments specialized care and safety measures to guarantee their health and well-being.As temporary rehabilitative care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation are for older adults that need help recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery. Other levels of care are living solutions where seniors can put down roots, long term.A senior living community that offers a continuum of care may provide all of these different levels of care, making it easy to transition your living accommodations should your care needs change. Be sure to consult with each senior living community you’re considering to ensure you’re choosing the best community and level of care for you.

Recover Seamlessly at Aviva’s Benderson Campus 

At Aviva Senior Living, we offer a full range of senior care, including a robust skilled nursing and rehabilitation program, where our residents can trust they’ll get the care they need from a team of certified medical professionals.Our robust, QAPI accredited rehabilitation program offers a wide range of therapies, services and care, including but not limited to:

• Occupational therapy 
• Physical therapy
• Speech therapy 
• Medical care, including recovery from major health events or surgery 
• Chronic illness and nutrition management 

As an endorsed and accredited, not-for-profit senior living community, it’s our mission and priority to provide high-quality care and enrichment to our residents so that they can thrive in our community. Contact us today to learn more about our community and see if Aviva is the place for your next adventure.