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Long-Term Care in the Time of COVID-19

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 10, 2020 3:42:49 PM / by Kim Mcilnay, BCPA posted in Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility, COVID-19, Coronavirus

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If you have a loved one in a long-term care facility, you want to stay connected with them while also making sure the facility is doing all they should to keep their residents and staff safe.  Here are some suggestions for both of those goals:

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Crash Course in Nursing Homes: Summary of 11 Lessons Learned

[fa icon="calendar'] Feb 5, 2019 5:04:00 AM / by Kim Mcilnay, BCPA posted in self-advocacy, elderly illness, Medicare, medi-cal, Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility

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In the preceding blogs titled Crash Course in Nursing Homes, Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, I shared Susan's experiences with illegal nursing home practices and lessons learned. This post summarized the lessons learned for easy reference.

Lesson 1: Rehab/nursing home stays are only covered by Medicare if a patient is first admitted to a hospital for 3 midnights.  You may think you're admitted to the hospital but you may actually only be on observation status. Observation status does not qualify you for medicare coverage for a skilled nursing facility. Ask your nurse, doctor, or the admissions team if you are "admitted" or on "observation status." 

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Crash Course in Nursing Homes Part 3: Final Lessons

[fa icon="calendar'] Feb 4, 2019 6:51:00 AM / by Kim Mcilnay, BCPA posted in self-advocacy, medi-cal, Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility

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In Part 1, I shared Susan's story and reviewed Lessons 1-3. Susan was staying in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) for rehab and was unsafe for discharge to home. The SNF threatened eviction once Susan's Medicare approved stay was completed. In Part 2, I shared the steps we took to fight Susan's illegal eviction and reviewed Lessons 4-8. Today's post will cover final lessons learned, including a resident's rights when transferred to the hospital. 

Susan lived comfortably in the nursing home for several months under Medi-Cal custodial care payment when an illness required her to transfer to the hospital. 

Lesson 9: Skilled Nursing Facilities are  required to readmit residents within 30 days of transfer to the hospital and they are required to hold the resident's same bed if transferred to the hospital for less than 7 days.  I was aware of these regulations already. We requested to sign a bed hold form at the facility. This bed hold meant that Susan's exact bed would be available to her for the next 7 days.

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Crash Course in Nursing Homes Part 2: Fighting Illegal Nursing Home Practices.

[fa icon="calendar'] Jan 7, 2019 10:36:00 AM / by Kim Mcilnay, BCPA posted in self-advocacy, medi-cal, Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility

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