ARTICLES / General /
When A Loved One Needs a Skilled Nursing Facility
by Trish Hughes Kreis
Communicate with the patient and their family
Communication is essential to giving good,
quality care. The family needs to be kept
informed about treatment, physical therapy,
medication changes and discharge plans. The
administrator adds, “We need families to help
with the transition to our facility and the
transition back home.” There cannot be too much
communication. If the SNF doctor is too busy to
talk to the family directly, someone should be
appointed to be the person relaying information.
Calls need to be returned in a timely manner.
Ongoing communication during the patient’s stay
will improve the care of the patient, speed up
recovery time and make for a smooth transition
out of the facility.
All aspects of the patient’s care are integrated
and, if handled effectively, will speed
recovery. The skilled nursing facility
administrator says, “I always emphasize the
partnership aspect for the care of the resident.
It only works when we have a supportive family,
a family that will be by the resident’s side
during therapy, meals and care meetings.” These
tips are just a few of the ways to help that
process along.
Trish Hughes Kreis is a freelance writer,
full-time legal administrator, mom to three
wonderful children and wife to one understanding
husband. Trish coordinates the care of her
youngest brother, Robert, and has managed to
persistently slog through the maze of social
services and government programs available to
help her brother.
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