What is Long-Term Skilled Nursing Care?
Long-term skilled nursing care is a critical component of the healthcare continuum, providing comprehensive and specialized medical services to individuals who require extended assistance with their daily activities due to chronic illnesses, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. This form of care is designed to offer a high level of medical and personal support to individuals who cannot fully care for themselves but do not require hospitalization.
Our life plan community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, proudly offers long-term skilled nursing care to help individuals live life with purpose. The Uplands Village team is exploring this level of care to help you better understand if it is right for you or someone you love.
Understanding the Basics
What is Long-Term Care?
Long-term skilled nursing care, also referred to as nursing home care or extended care, is a healthcare service that offers 24-hour medical supervision and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) to individuals with chronic or severe medical conditions. This level of care can only be safely performed by licensed professionals, such as a nurse. The primary goals of long-term skilled nursing care are:
- Medical Management: Providing continuous medical care and monitoring to individuals with chronic illnesses or complex medical needs. This includes administering medications, managing chronic conditions, and addressing acute medical issues.
- Rehabilitation: Assisting individuals in regaining lost functional abilities through therapies like physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
- Personal Care: Supporting residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility.
- Safety and Comfort: Ensuring the safety and comfort of residents in a controlled and supervised environment.
- Quality of Life: Promoting the emotional and psychological well-being of residents through social activities and emotional support.
Who Benefits from Long-Term Care?
Long-term skilled nursing care is typically intended for individuals who require ongoing medical supervision and assistance with ADLs. Common residents include:
- Individuals with Disabilities: People with physical, developmental, or intellectual disabilities that limit their independence.
- Chronic Medical Conditions: Those with severe chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory illnesses.
- Post-Acute Care: Individuals recovering from surgeries, injuries, or acute illnesses who require extended rehabilitation.
- Palliative and Hospice Care: Individuals with life-limiting illnesses may also receive end-of-life care in skilled nursing communities.
What Services Are Provided?
Long-term skilled nursing care communities offer a wide range of services to meet the complex needs of their residents:
- Nursing Care: Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses provide around-the-clock medical care, administer medications, and monitor vital signs.
- Rehabilitation Services: Physical, occupational, and speech therapists help residents regain functional abilities and improve their quality of life.
- Nutritional Support: Dietitians ensure residents receive appropriate nutrition based on their dietary needs and medical conditions.
- Personal Care: Certified nursing assistants assist with ADLs, including bathing, dressing, toileting, and transferring.
- Social and Recreational Activities: Many communities offer social programs and activities to promote mental and emotional well-being among residents.
Long-Term Skilled Nursing Care at Uplands Village
Our life plan community offers long-term skilled nursing care for extensive health and personal care support. Wharton Homes at Uplands Village is located in the center of our 500-acre campus, providing individually tailored medical, dietary, and social care plans developed under the guidance of each resident’s personal physician and our medical director.
Each resident lives with purpose as we help them manage chronic conditions in clean, comfortable, and caring senior housing environments. All caregivers at Wharton Homes receive extensive training in the Eden Alternative® philosophy of resident-directed care. We treat residents with the autonomy and respect they deserve and cater to their overall wellness – mind, body, and spirit.
Long-term skilled nursing care residents receive many benefits and opportunities in Wharton Homes, including:
- 24/7 personalized nursing care
- Individualized medical, dietary, and social care plans
- Three daily nutritious meals, including made-to-order breakfasts, drinks, and healthy snacks
- Wheelchair-friendly dining tables to share family-style meals
- Spa rooms with whirlpool tubs for restorative therapy and relaxation
- On-site physical, occupational, speech, and aquatic therapies
- Restorative programs to help residents achieve their highest level of mobility
- Enclosed gardens for tending to plants, relaxation, or visiting with family
- Cable TV and in-room bath
- Full community calendar of life enrichment activities and events
- Assisted van service to weekly nondenominational worship services
- 24-hour on-call ambulance service
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Long-term skilled nursing care is crucial in the senior living and healthcare systems by providing specialized and continuous care to individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. It ensures that these individuals receive the necessary medical attention, rehabilitation services, and personal care in a safe and supervised environment.
To learn more about our life plan community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, and the long-term care services we offer, visit our website or contact a member of the Uplands Village team.