Skilled Nursing
Medical-grade 24-hour care for individuals recovering from illness, surgery, or injury, or managing complex chronic conditions.
What Is Skilled Nursing?
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), commonly called nursing homes, provide the highest level of residential long-term care. They are staffed around the clock by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants who deliver medical care, wound care, intravenous therapy, physical and occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and other clinical services. Skilled nursing is appropriate for people who need more continuous medical oversight than can be provided in an assisted living or memory care setting. SNFs also serve as post-acute rehabilitation destinations. Many patients are admitted for short-term recovery after a hospital stay for surgery, stroke, or illness, with the goal of returning home.
Who Is It For?
Skilled nursing is appropriate for individuals with complex medical needs that require daily nursing intervention, such as wound management, ventilator care, multiple IV medications, or significant physical rehabilitation. Long-term residents typically have advanced dementia, severe physical disabilities, or multiple chronic conditions that require continuous monitoring. Short-term skilled nursing care (often covered by Medicare Part A) is commonly used by older adults recovering from a hip fracture repair, joint replacement, cardiac event, or major surgery before they are ready to return home or transition to a lower level of care. A physician order is required for Medicare-covered skilled nursing admission.
Typical Cost
A private room in a skilled nursing facility costs a national median of approximately $9,000 to $10,000 per month; semi-private rooms average $7,500 to $8,500. Costs vary significantly by region. Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing care per benefit period following a qualifying hospital stay of at least three nights, with significant cost-sharing after day 20. Medicaid is the largest payer for long-term skilled nursing care for those who meet financial and clinical eligibility requirements. Long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, and private pay cover the remainder. Understanding payer eligibility and transition planning is critical.
How to Find Skilled Nursing
Medicare's Care Compare tool (medicare.gov) provides star ratings, inspection reports, staffing data, and quality measures for every Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility in the country. This is the most important starting point. Focus on communities with high staffing ratings, low deficiency citations, and strong short-stay quality measures if rehabilitation is the goal. In-person visits are essential: observe cleanliness, odor, resident engagement, and staff attentiveness. Ask about average daily nurse and aide hours per resident, therapy services availability, and discharge planning support. Hospital discharge planners and social workers are often well-positioned to recommend facilities based on clinical needs.