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FAQs
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Q: Are Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Assisted Living the same?
A: Yes and No; Skilled Nursing Facilities are the more modern name for Nursing Homes. Facilities such as ours are now licensed and certified as SNF’s to better define their ability to provide the high quality nursing care given as opposed to the old school nursing homes which were mostly unregulated and provided little nursing care. Assisted Living Facilities are a completely different part of the health care continuum; ALF’s are NOT nursing facilities in that they are relatively unregulated, have no requirement to actually provide nursing care or other clinical requirements that SNF’s provide, and most do not have Licensed Nurses on duty, on staff, or even on call.
Q: Do you provide physical therapy like a therapy hospital?
A: Yes. In fact our physical, occupational, and speech therapy services are more geared toward the geriatric or adult population. Our services specialize in recovery, and in many cases our short stay residents are on their way home much faster than they anticipated. Therapy hospitals normally specialize in therapy for a much younger and agile population, and these services may not be appropriate for the more mature residents and the illnesses that affect them.
Q: Who pays for someone’s stay in a skilled nursing facility such as yours?
A: It depends. There are four main pay-sources for care in our facility. For short term rehab residents the main pay-source is either Medicare, for those who qualify (however, even if one qualifies Medicare only pays for 100 days of SNF care), and private insurance (if the insurance policy covers a SNF stay). For longer term stays the primary pay sources are Medicaid for the indigent or private pay funds for those who do not qualify for Medicaid. Pay source options can be daunting and complicated; we can help you understand the details here after looking at each individual financial situation.
Q: Do you have activities?
A: Yes. Our facility offers many activities daily and tries to customize some activities to appeal to individual and diverse interests. Our activity department puts together a wide range of activities to enhance overall living at our facility. The activities focus on rehab, fellowship, cultural awareness, current events, and just plain fun. Many residents make valuable friendships through the activities which enhances the overall living here.
Q: Do you have a special Alzheimer’s or dementia unit?
A: No. We do not believe in the isolation of these residents, nor do we believe such units enhance the overall wellbeing of those residents affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia. For many years it has been our philosophy that these residents better thrive in the general population of the facility. They interact better, and with the proper redirection by staff, thrive as opposed to being isolated in a lock down unit. Our facility however, is equipped with the latest in wandering prevention technology. If a resident is identified as one who may no longer recognize their safe boundaries, this wander system will function as a safeguard by locking doors to the outside and alarming should they try to exit the facility.
Q: Do you accept hospice residents or are hospice services available should we need them in the future?
A: Yes. We have contracts with various hospice providers, and their services are readily available in our facility should the need arise.
Q: Are your staff licensed and qualified?
A: Yes. Care in our facility is provided by certified nursing assistants, licensed and registered nurses, licensed and credentialed physicians, and a licensed administrator oversees the daily operations. This facility meets, and in most cases, exceeds staffing requirements set for by the state and federal regulations. In addition, we contract with other licensed health care providers who regularly provide medical services to our residents.
Q: Can I continue to use my regular doctor?
A: The medical care at our facility is under the guidance of the Medical Director, who is a licensed medical doctor in South Carolina. There are other physicians and specialists that regularly visit and provide care to our residents. Any physician that is credentialed at the local hospital or any hospital in which this facility has a transfer agreement is welcome to practice here at Cheraw Healthcare. The ultimate decision is whether or not your doctor will follow your care to our facility or if they will defer your care to another physician who will.
Q: Are all nursing homes the same?
A: No. Like anything there are good ones and bad ones. At this facility we go to great efforts to change the perception of most people when they think of traditional nursing home care. This facility is a home first, not a hospital; we try to provide a homelike environment for the residents who live here while providing top quality short term rehab and long term care. We go to great lengths to ensure resident privacy and uphold residents’ rights, and do our best to treat each resident with dignity and respect. Our comprehensive house keeping keeps our facility clean and free of odors in as much as can be accomplished in a health care facility, and our dietary department not only maintains an “A” rating in restaurant and health facility standards but puts forth a customized and appetizing daily menu that we will put up against any other food service establishment in the area.
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