Questions to Ask When Considering Skilled Care

General questions for all potential patients: • Is your facility licensed? • Has your license ever been revoked? • Are you Medicare/Medicaid certified? • What types of insurance do you accept? • Can you accommodate all of my specific medical needs? • What services do you offer, and which are included in the basic rate and which cost extra? • What is your basic rate? • May I see your most recent survey/inspection report? • Do you conduct patient/family satisfaction surveys, and if so, may I see the results? • Do you have a dietitian on staff to ensure healthy, balanced meals? • Can individual dietary needs/preferences be accommodated? • What are your staff/patient ratios – including daytime, nights and weekends? • What are your visitation policies? • Are patients/families included in care planning? • Are employees required to pass a background check? • Is there a waiting list for admission?

For potential patients with short term rehabilitation and recovery needs: • Do you offer intensive rehabilitative treatment? (A minimum of 3 hours daily) • Is therapy provided by a physician-led multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists? • Is that team on-staff? • What rehabilitation equipment and/or facilities are made available to patients? • How long is the average rehabilitative stay? For potential long-term residents with ongoing care needs: • Do you have an activities director? • What type of activities are available? • Are residents included in activities planning? • Are there outdoor activities as well as indoor ones? • Do you have a family/resident council? • Are residents allowed to bring personal items from home? • Are you equipped to provide safe care for Alzheimer/Dementia sufferers? • What procedures are in place to protect resident privacy/dignity? • Can residents make choices about daily routines? The best time to present your list of questions is during an in-person tour of the facilities you're considering for your care. While asking questions over the phone can yield a great deal of good information, nothing is quite as illuminating as a personal visit to get a true feel for the general quality, atmosphere and attitude of a facility and its staff.