When a patient is discharged from the hospital, under normal circumstances he or she will return to their respective home. But what happens when is one’s recovery becomes slower than expected? What options are available?
Fortunately, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) exist to address this very issue. SNF are one of many different settings for long term care in which nursing and other therapy are provided to treat, manage, and evaluate care of patients who are slowly recovering after discharge from hospital stay. Other reasons to stay at a SNF is help improve any current conditions or maintain a current condition to stop it from getting worse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Sevices, 2015). It is very important to remember that there are several conditions SNF must follow with regards to whom may be …show more content…
CMS have developed rules stating that all SNFs are required to develop an organized plan for each beneficiary, which includes plans for their discharge. An investigation by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) noted that SNFs over the years has violated several of these requirements. One of their statistics highlight the fact that 31 percent of stays at SNFs failed to meet the discharge planning requirements CMS imposed. (Office of Inspector General, 2013). For example, a discharge plan must consist of (1) summary of the beneficiary’s stay and status at discharge, and (2) a post-discharge plan of care. After a medical record review by a contractor of the OIG, 16 percent of SNFs did not provide a summary of beneficiary’s stay and status at discharge. Another 23 percent failed to report a post discharge plan of care (Office of Inspector General, 2013). These number are very significant, considering the fact that Medicare pays over $1.9 billion for these SNF stays (Office of Inspector General,
Fortunately, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) exist to address this very issue. SNF are one of many different settings for long term care in which nursing and other therapy are provided to treat, manage, and evaluate care of patients who are slowly recovering after discharge from hospital stay. Other reasons to stay at a SNF is help improve any current conditions or maintain a current condition to stop it from getting worse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Sevices, 2015). It is very important to remember that there are several conditions SNF must follow with regards to whom may be …show more content…
CMS have developed rules stating that all SNFs are required to develop an organized plan for each beneficiary, which includes plans for their discharge. An investigation by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) noted that SNFs over the years has violated several of these requirements. One of their statistics highlight the fact that 31 percent of stays at SNFs failed to meet the discharge planning requirements CMS imposed. (Office of Inspector General, 2013). For example, a discharge plan must consist of (1) summary of the beneficiary’s stay and status at discharge, and (2) a post-discharge plan of care. After a medical record review by a contractor of the OIG, 16 percent of SNFs did not provide a summary of beneficiary’s stay and status at discharge. Another 23 percent failed to report a post discharge plan of care (Office of Inspector General, 2013). These number are very significant, considering the fact that Medicare pays over $1.9 billion for these SNF stays (Office of Inspector General,