Why skilled nursing is vital to healthcare

In the world of healthcare, nursing plays a central role. At every level of care, a patient will likely interact with a nursing professional at some point.

But what about skilled nursing specifically? And why is it important to healthcare?

Skilled nursing goes far beyond treating illnesses and immediate injuries and is meant to help patients both heal and thrive. Here, we have listed three reasons why skilled nursing is vital to healthcare.

Becoming more familiar with skilled nursing and its importance can better prepare you for life’s unexpected turns and the care options open to you.

Skilled nursing is for everyone

Skilled nursing is a type of short-term care delivered by a licensed nursing professional or a certified professional who is overseen by one.

Often, this kind of care falls between acute hospital treatment and short-term therapy and can allow a patient to make a full transition back home or back to their previous level of independence.

While it is often associated with aging or medical conditions related to aging, anyone, regardless of age, may find themselves in need of skilled nursing care.

If you or a loved one has an accident or experiences a medical event that requires extensive healing or recovery time, you may need skilled nursing to make a full recovery in a timely manner.

Skilled nursing does what a hospital cannot

After an accident or illness that requires hospitalization or surgery, a patient may need more time to heal and regain the vitality and function they lost––something that hospitals are not equipped to manage.

Hospitals focus on acute or immediate medical problems and help patients reach a specific level of stability.

But from that point, many patients still need time to regain the strength, balance and coordination they may have lost in order to reach their prior level of function.

Skilled nursing facilities provide a supportive environment where recovering patients receive the day-to-day care and support they need to continue their journey from stability to full independence.

And the nursing services one receives often complement and facilitate necessary short-term rehabilitation services carried out by licensed therapists and therapy professionals, which specifically target a patient’s ability to balance, walk and complete activities of daily living.

Skilled nursing is a bridge to full recovery

A major illness or accident can rip someone from the life, people and home they know and love.

Skilled nursing serves as a clinical bridge between hospital and home, allowing patients to rest and heal, assisting and supporting them through rehabilitation programs, and setting them securely on a path toward full recovery and independence.

Bouncing back from an illness or injury without short-term skilled nursing care can be unnecessarily prolonged and uncertain.

But skilled nursing services afford a patient the perfect “care cushion,” allowing them to get back to their best selves.

To learn more about skilled nursing care and how it might serve you or a loved one, call the Life Care facility nearest you. An associate can answer any questions you might have or schedule a tour of the facility.