Different levels of care such as in-home care, assisted living, nursing home care, skilled nursing, hospice, etc. have different state and federal regulations that state what level of care each of the options are licensed to provide. The best thing to do is talk to your family doctor and ask them what level of care they think is appropriate. Once you have a broad idea call the different facilities and they will come out to assess your Mom to determine if they can meet her needs or not. If you’re in the Boise area call us and we will help you through this process!
Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income. They will work together to provide you with health coverage and lower your costs. A tip from us: Call a local Elder Law attorney and they will help you determine if there is a way for you to get some assistance paying for long-term care.
When someone says “nursing home” they typically mean long term care. This is the highest level of care you can stay at long-term and is paid for by either private funds, Medicaid, or Long-term Care Insurance. A ‘Skilled Nursing” facility is referencing a short-term rehab stay paid for by Medicare that typically last 14-21 days until you are stronger then they send you home or to an assisted living. To make things more confusing some nursing homes also provide “skilled nursing” which means they may have a few rooms in their building reserved for short-term rehab stays.
