There are many important factors that informed healthcare consumers investigate as they choose a skilled nursing facility for themselves or a loved one.
The standard list includes the overall quality of care, the comfort and atmosphere of the facility, inspection and survey reports, licensure details and staffing details – such as staff numbers, credentials and turnover rates. However, there is another very important factor that is often overlooked: Experience.
Here we'll get into what that means in this context and why it matters in terms of choosing top-quality skilled nursing care.
What experience means in the context of skilled nursing facility is that the facility has been in business for a long while and has earned a good reputation in its community. Its management and staff, over years of operation, have become familiar with local medical facilities and providers, along with pharmacies, medical supply establishments, senior centers and many other resources, developing solid working relationships throughout the community that allow them to make the most of these resources for their patients.
They also have years of experience navigating Medicare, Medicaid and various insurance policies/contracts to make the most of coverage for patients. Finally, staff are seasoned professionals who are not only technically proficient in the tasks they manage every day, but have that practical know-how that comes with years of hands-on patient care experience.
Why does all of that matter to your search for the best possible skilled nursing care? Because quality care is as much about how things are done as it is about what is done. The administration and staff of experienced skilled nursing facilities have put years into developing a solid repertoire of best practices for clinical care, personal care, and rehabilitative care.
They have acquired, through years of hands-on experience, a high level of knowledge about what it takes to make patients, their families and their visitors feel valued, comfortable and secure in the facility setting. Experience has taught them that providing high-quality, person-centered care to each individual they serve is the best, most efficient way to achieve optimal health outcomes for those individuals and to ensure their satisfaction with the care and services they are provided throughout their stay.
All of these and many other benefits of experience offer a high-quality experience for patients, as well as friends and family members who share that experience as they provide support and assistance to their loved ones.
