NURSING HOME INSURANCE

There are three levels of nursing home care. They are:

Skilled Care: The everyday meaning of skilled care generally is more liberal than Medicare's definition. Most insurance policies require a stay of at least three days in a hospital not more than 14 to 30 days before the patient is admitted to a nursing home by a physician.

Skilled care means nursing care performed under the orders of a doctor, supervised by a licensed registered nurse, and carried out by licensed registered or practical nurses available around the clock. Skilled care includes one or more professional nursing procedures performed for the patient's benefit on a daily basis. It might include such things as changing IVs, or physical, occupational or speech therapy. The care is expected to result in some significant improvement in the medical condition of the patient that will aid the patient in convalescing from a sickness or injury.


Intermediate Care is nursing care that must be performed under the orders of a doctor and under the supervision of a licensed registered or practical nurse. Intermediate care provides the patient, on a periodic basis, with one or more procedures which cannot be done without professional skill or training. Examples include giving injections or changing bandages.

A person is seldom in skilled and/or intermediate care for longer than six months. The patient usually returns home or enters custodial care within 120 to 180 days of skilled or intermediate care.


Custodial Care is primarily for meeting personal needs, and could be provided by persons who do not have professional skills or training. Assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, walking, getting in and out of bed, and taking medication which could be self-administered is considered custodial, and does not require trained medical personnel.