Are Luxurious Amenities A Necessity For Skilled Nursing Facilities?

Posted on: April 21, 2015

In a recent article, the New York Times suggested that many nursing homes attempt to “lure” patients who require a short-term rehabilitation stay with the promise of luxurious amenities while offering subpar medical care in their relentless pursuit of Medicare dollars. Though this is somewhat of a generalization, as a leader in the senior care industry for more than 25 years, I have seen some competitors go down this unfortunate path.

My approach is to focus on providing high quality medical care in a comfortable, attractive setting with reasonable amenities, rather than wasting vital resources on unnecessary luxuries. A patient who is recovering at a nursing home for less than 35 days doesn’t need a “putting green” or “gurgling waterfall”, as the article states. They need superior rehabilitation therapy and top-notch medical care to facilitate their safe return home.

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The clinical programs and capabilities, rehabilitation therapy and medical staff at all CareOne, CareVirginia and HealthBridge Management facilities are excellent. Our centers not only partner with major hospitals to provide a seamless continuum of care for patients, but they also serve as teaching sites for physician assistants and nurses. Each center offers a variety of innovative clinical programs, including:

  • The first-ever STAR Program® certification delivering oncology services for in-patient, sub-acute facilities in the state of New Jersey.
  • The first American Diabetes Association Certification of its kind on the eastern seaboard.
  • The first NeuroGym in the state of New Jersey, geared towards meeting the needs of those with movement disorders including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, and dementia.
  • State-of-the-art Intensive Medical Management Unit, providing highly specialized medical care for acute patients to facilitate their smooth transition from hospital to rehab to home.

In addition to these cutting edge programs, our centers have Medical Directors and specialty staff overseeing all clinical initiatives. The quality of care our patients receive is second to none. I have yet to receive a complaint about the lack of putting greens and gurgling waterfalls.