Chris Guay: Hello! I'm Chris Guay with Emeritus Senior Living. Today I'm going to talk about skilled nursing care and seniors who are best served by these communities.

If you have a loved one in need of skilled nursing care, you are most likely going through a very stressful time, trying to find them the right place. Skilled nursing facilities play a very important role for our aging seniors. They provide the highest level of care outside of the hospital for individuals who have health conditions that require constant monitoring or need short-term rehabilitation. These facilities have doctors, nurses, healthcare aids available 24 hours a day. The goal of short-term rehabilitation in skilled nursing is to help individuals function at the highest level possible, with the aim to return the patient home as soon as they are able.

Private health insurance or Medicare may be used to pay for care received in skilled nursing facilities. Most skilled nursing communities provide post-hospital and post-surgical care, long-term care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, medication administration and IV therapy. If you were starting to look for skilled nursing community for a loved, tour the center with the guide and learn about the medical staff, care philosophies, options and contracts. Pay close attention to the environment, is it clean, comfortable, secure, and well-organized. Watch how members of the staff treat their residents and families. Are they cheerful and respectful? Ensure the community has meaningful activities for the residents and opportunities to engage with others. And make sure the facility is licensed and has a history of providing great care. Understand you may not have a lot of time to make this decision, so make sure you're thorough with your research. Your search for the perfect living care situation for your loved one is the most important decision you will ever make.