A nursing home is an entity that provides skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services to people with illnesses, injuries or functional disabilities.   Most facilities serve the elderly.  However, some facilities provide services to younger individuals with special needs such as the developmentally disabled, mentally ill, and those requiring drug and alcohol rehabilitation.  Nursing homes are generally stand alone facilities, but some are operated within a hospital or retirement community.

Nursing Home Services

The level of care provided by nursing homes has increased significantly over the past decade. Many homes now provide much of the nursing care that was previously provided in a hospital setting. As a result, most nursing homes now focus their attention on rehabilitation, so that their clients can return to their own homes as soon as possible. Some of the services a nursing home may provide include:

Therapies (Inpatient and Some Outpatient)

Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Respiratory therapy

Pharmacy Services

Equipment Rental

Specialty Care

Alzheimer's treatment
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Developmentally disabled
Dementia
Head trauma
Hematologic conditions
Mental disease
Neurological diseases
Neuromuscular diseases
Orthopedic rehabilitation
Pain therapy
Pulmonary disease
Para/quadriplegic impairments
Stroke recovery
Trauma
Wound care

Special Services

Home health care
Adult day care
Respite care