Dear Caregiver,
Many caregivers ask what is the difference between a “skilled nursing facility” (SNF-pronounced “sniff”) and an “assisted living facility” (ALF-pronounced “alf’”). Good question when you are trying to figure out which one is best for your loved one when the time comes to place him/her. Assisted living care is required when someone cannot or should not be at home any longer (for various reasons), but does not yet require a skilled nursing facility (commonly known as a nursing home).
An assisted living is a home-like environment but with employees that lend assistance to certain activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, medication management, etc. It is a social-model versus a SNF’s medical model of care, although the ALF can have on-site medical care too. There are various indicators that would signal when someone would be more appropriate for a SNF rather than an ALF. These include:
1. Needing more medical care than the ALF can provide (ie; feeding tubes, oxygen, IVs, extensive wound care)
2. Behavioral issues that create a threat to other residents or to him/her self, that cannot be managed
3. Not being able to transfer with assistance. In other words, the person needs to be lifted or they are bed-ridden
These are general guidelines and not every case is black and white as to which place is most appropriate. The SNF & ALF will provide their own assessment of the potential resident to determine if they can meet that person’s needs, according to the policies, rules and regulations that govern facilities.
Until next time…
Pollyanna