A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a step up from the medical care available in assisted living centers. With assisted living a resident can get basic medical care such as wound dressing and blood pressure monitoring, but only with nursing home care will they have daily access to the skills of more advanced practitioners such as RNs (registered nurses) and occupational therapists.

1. How do people pay for nursing homes?
People combine private and public funds in many different ways to pay for nursing home care. Options depend on state law and a person’s financial profile.

As with planning for any type of senior housing, when arranging payment for a nursing home it’s valuable to consult with a trustworthy geriatric planner.

2. How old are nursing home residents?
People of all ages need temporary or long-term nursing home care, so some nursing homes serve people of all ages. Many nursing homes have age restrictions to keep their populations primarily or exclusively for older adults. Common minimum entry ages are 55, 62 and 65.

3. Are pets allowed?
Pet-friendly nursing homes aren’t found in all parts of the US, but they do exist and are becoming more common. Some nursing homes offer pet care services such as dog walking, litter scooping and pet grooming. Much more common though are nursing homes with their own dogs and cats (and possibly other kinds of animals) for all residents to love.

4. How independent are the residents?
Nursing home residents generally are in medical recovery or have chronic health conditions that need daily medical attention. Compared with residents of assisted living centers they have lower activity levels on average. Also compared with assisted living residents, a higher percentage of nursing home residents have advanced Alzheimer’s disease or other serious mental health conditions.

According to the US News and World Report, the cost for private nursing home rooms in 2012 averaged $250 a day. This adds up to be at least $90,000 a year for nursing home care. For a semi-private room, the cost decreases, but not by much. The cost is approximately $220 a day for at least $81,000 in fees a year. The Centers for Disease Control released its last National Nursing Home Survey in 2012, which reported that the average stay for a nursing home resident was 835 days or just over two years. Therefore, you can expect to pay anywhere from $80,000 to $180,000 in nursing home expenses for a single senior.