Home Nursing
Home Nursing questions and answers
Got questions about Home Nursing, well we've got the answers at Nursing Online Learning.
Q: Is working as a pediactric nurse or as a nursing home nurse less stressful than hospital nursing?
I love kids, and helping people...but, i also dont think I'd mind working in a nursing home/ hospital setting, which is better, in your opinion, and why? Which is less stressful? which is the best atmosphere? sorry for all the questions, just curious.
I'd really enjoy pediactrics i think...opinions on that?
A: Right up front: I'm going into peds.
Hospitals are great, in my opinion. They have a variety of acuities, units, and paces of work. If you decide you don't love you're unit, you can just do an internal transfer--ALOT easier than finding a whole new job. It's easy to pick up overtime, and the benefits are usually better in a hospital than a nursing home. You'll be working with a ton of other RNs and have more opportunities for career and personal growth.
Nursing homes are generally overseen by 1 RN and run by LPNs and nursing assistants, so you won't be working with your "peers". They're extremely slow-paced and in my opinion, depressing. Acuity is low, and the patient population is very stable (read: same patients for years and years). Nursing care is minimal...you're likely to lose many of the skills you learned in school.
Q: How can I start a nursing home inside my home?
I would like to start a nursing home inside my home? Is this possible and what are the steps in doing this? Please help me out on this.
A: Nursing home is different from Assisted Living. You only need to meet legal requirements for ALF if you want to get state or insurance money. Many seniors will happily rent a room from you and pay you additional for meals, various assistance that is NOT nursing. It could range from driving them to the store once a week to daily bathing and personal services. It depends what you want to do and what they need and what your home is set up to offer. Just be clear before they move in and have some kind of written agreement as well as a plan for what happens when they need more than you can give. You can't just throw them out on the street if they suddenly have a stroke or something.
Q: Can a nursing home or medicaid take a patients assets?
We are planning to do a reverse mortgage for my grandfather? We've been told that if he were to go into a nursing home, the home and/or Medicaid can take his assets including any equity or property he has. This doesn't seem right. Can anyone help clarify?
A: I'd check with a lawyer on this.
Yes, the patient is expected to pay for the nursing home, if he or she has the assets to do so. Many people transfer property and assets to avoid this issue.
The law has been that the transfer had to happen a year to a year and a half before the person entered the nursing home. However the recent Budget Reconcilliation Bill changes the ruling to a period to five years.
There is an article about it here: http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=128962
Some to lose Medicaid aid in paying for nursing home By DOUGLAS TURNER News Washington Bureau Chief 2/10/2006
"WASHINGTON - The days are over when Grandma or Grandpa could give their money to relatives, then, shortly thereafter, enter a nursing home with Medicaid picking up the tab. A bill President Bush signed this week requires a five-year wait for those wishing to employ this little-publicized but widely used practice. ... While critics fear the new rules could hurt people of modest means, advocates say the changes will help erase the practice of wealthier seniors artificially impoverishing themselves so the government assumes their nursing home expenses."
click link for rest of the article - http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=128962
Q: What are appropriate gifts for nursing home staff?
There are about 4 staff workers in each unit - an RN and several aides. The Nursing Home sent a note saying that cash gifts aren't permitted, but cookies or fruit are ok. The aides rolled their eyes at that. I got the impression that gift cards might be ok, but don't know how much to purchase. One aide in particular has spent a lot of time with our family member and with us.
Family member was recently admitted to a unit with 16 patients.
A: I've worked in either nursing homes or assisted living facilities for 20 years, and it's never been okay for staff to accept gifts from a resident or their family. I'd strongly suggest NOT giving a gift card -- while the staff might take it gratefully (times are tough right now and you can hardly blame them), they are risking their job to do so. Accepting a gift that is intended for them only -- cash, gift card, perfume, etc -- is grounds for dismissal in EVERY place I've worked and every healthcare facility I've heard of. Fruit baskets, cookie trays, etc are often given, but I know one of the best "spreads" we got was from a family who brought in a bunch of really nice deli sandwich trays -- enough for each shift to be able to enjoy.
Q: How do I keep the nursing home from taking possession of my fathers property and estate if he needs placement?
My father is 79 and requires help with his everyday care. His income is not enough to pay for a private sitter. He is getting close to requiring 24 hours care I have heard that if I place him in a nursing home I will have to give them total possession of all his assets what do I do?
A: Unless your dad has a long term care policy...then he's going to have to liquidate his assets to pay for his care.
Government programs (Medicaid/Medicare) have a look back period. So you can't hide dad's assets by putting them in your name.
And that's they way it should be. When Medicaid/Medicare pay for your dad's care...that money is coming from all of us through our taxes. I don't pay taxes so you can have an inheritance and you don't pay them so I can inherit when my parents die.
Your dad worked his whole life to acquire his assets. It is now time for all his hard work and his assets to be used to make sure he gets the best care he can afford. And he will get much better care as a private pay patient than a medicaid/medicare patient.
By the time your dad passes...hopefully he has had a long, wonderful life. He has had love and great care and his assets have been used to make sure he had everything he needed.
That's my wish for my parents. That they have long wonderful health lives. And when the time comes, I'll make sure to liquidate their assets and make sure they have top notch care. If all goes right.....mom and dad will have been well cared for...well loved and the only thing I'll be left with are the great memories and lessons learned from my parents. It's not my parents job to leave me an inheritance. It's my job to make my own way...provide for myself and work hard...so that when I am old I will have the resources I need to get the care I need.
Good Luck with your Dad.
Q: Does a nursing home have the right to refuse a patients choice of doctor?
A local nursing home has a patient who had to change her doctor, but when she made her choice the nursing home administration refused to let the doctor see her. Any precedence on this?
A: The doctor must submit his credentials and be approved by the nursing home to practice, i.e. see patients, in the nursing home. If the doctor did not do this, then he cannot practice inside the nursing home. The resident could travel to his office to see him, providing that the transportation method was safe for the resident.
Q: Medicaid and nursing home payments - where may I learn more of the rules?
Preparing for elderly family members, we want to better understand the "rules of the game". We understand that Medicaid does not consider cars as assets, nor do they consider prepaid funeral expenses. Is there a recommended source, with current rules, that describes how to manage the transition from having health to living in a nursing home with Medicaid footing the bill.
This is such a big transition for the family, we want to stay legal, but want to understand our options.
Are financial analysts trained in this aspect of finance?
A: You need to understand Medicare and how it works with Medicaid. You can go to http://www.medicare.gov/ It will help you in some aspects. Medicaid will work with Medicare. It basicly will pay what Medicare won't pay. Living in a state funded nursing home is not a good way to live. People usually don't live very long after they enter a nursing home. Do they have a retirement fund or pension or any kind? If they are in a home they will also have to sign over their social security check to the state.
Q: What are some useful craft ideas for nursing home residents?
What are some craft ideas that young children can make to give to people in a nursing home? It has to be something useful, like a picture frame or something, that wouldn't just clutter up space. We are planning on giving the crafts to the home on Halloween, so something themed would be cute too.
A: darn I was gonna say a picture frame :P haha
bookmarks are cute and useful, or they could make like homemade dice or dominoes or something out of clay or paper maybe (I dunno), not sure how much nursing home people gamble but they might :)
Q: What kind of job could I get in a nursing home?
Hi, I want to work again and I know that I would love working in a nursing home. I love being with the elderly. They can be so sweet and loving and I know that they get lonely living in a nursing home. I would love to spend time with them and make them feel better and not feel so lonely. I am not a nurse so I am wondering what other positions would be available in a nursing home. Serious answers only please.
A: You could be a receptionist, server, or work in activities. There may be more positions open depending on the nursing home. But since you love the elderly I would look into getting a job in activities at a nursing home. You would get to have a lot of fun with the residents and also make them happy.
Q: If a nursing home goes through a change of ownership is the Medicaid reimbursement rate effected?
Assume this is a nursing home located in D.C.
A: Medicaid reimbursement RATES don't change.
However, if this is one corporation selling to another corporation, the new owner has to be approved to be a medicaid provider in order to get paid.
If there's no ownership change, and one stockholder just sold all their stock to another entity, then there's really no legal ownership change, and you don't need to do anything.
Q: Can you pay for a nursing home with private funds?
Instead of turning all assets over to the nursing home, can a person write a check every month for nursing home care?
A: Of course you can, Never sign all assets over to anyone.
Q: Would a nursing home assistant be likely to respond to a letter on behalf of an elderly man?
First of all, I haven't seen or heard from my grandfather in years, as he doesn't really like our family. I wrote to him to make sure he's doing okay. He's unable to read and write. Would a nursing home assistant be willing to read/write for him?
A: Yes. I work in an assisted living and I would write a letter if I was asked. We read mail to our residents if needed also.
Q: How do you find out about a nursing home?
One of my parents will probably end up in a nursing home, and I want to make sure they will be taken care of properly. You see so many horror stories, and I would die if something awful happened while they were in the home. How can I find out if the nursing home is in good standing with the state? Or if there has been complaints raised against the home?
A: I work in a nursing home (in Australia if you go on the waiting list for my home you could be offered a bed in one of their other homes in the area it can be up to a 2 year wait it depends on need of the person if they knock back a bed twice they will go back on the bottom of your list).
Ask your doctor,nurse & friends what the homes are like? would you put your parents there or if they are in one are they happy there?
You might want to talk to your parents about planing for it if the need arises. There are some very good nursing homes out there its just the few bad onesget the press!
Call around see if can get a tour of the home (also you could pop in when they dont expect you but do take a tour)!
some things to look/ask for
* How clean is it?
* Do they look happy there?
* How many to a room?
* Could husband and wife go in the same room?
* Try and see how the staff act with the residents!
* How much and what does that cover?
* Why should i pick this home?
* What actives do they offer (some will have an extra charge)
* Does it have a bus so they haave days out?
* Will they take them to appointments if you cant eg x-ray etc
* Do they take residents on hoildays (mine does)!
* Talk to staff & the people + their familys do the like there?
* Could they live there?
Most of all does it feel like a home not a nursing home?
Q: Why is it so hard to find a nursing home based on the faith of Wicca?
So many nursing homes claim to be faith based, but they all seem to be Christian faith based. There are so many other faiths, but all I ever seem to find are Christian based nursing homes. I'm planning to put my hippie mom in a nursing home soon and would like to find her one that will enhance her faith. Where are they all?
A: Because unicorn horn dust has to be part of the building foundation and we all know there aren't any around anymore, although I did have a zit last week that said otherwise.
Q: Can a senior citizen in a nursing home can be found mentally incompetent by the staff psychiatrist?
I thought (in addition to the doctors signature) that only a Judge could actually commit a person; not another employee of the nursing home. In order for a relative to take over his estate, they needed 2 signatures. His doctor signed the other day and alledgedly the staff psychiatrist did this last night. But is this legal that he was committed by those other than a judge?
A: The normal hold is for 72 hrs unless they go to court sounds like someone needs to find a advocate of patients rights and get them working on this ASAP or your friend or family member could fall thru the cracks