AgePage

National Institute on Aging

Nursing Homes: 

Making The 

Right Choice

Lucille has lived in her home for 33 years. 

Even after her husband died 3 years ago, 

she was able to manage on her own. Recently, 

she broke her hip and now needs a wheelchair 

to get around. At 82, she is no longer able 

to be on her own. Her children all have 

busy lives. How are they going to care for 

their mother?

There are many long-term care 

choices that Lucille’s family might look 

into—one of them is a nursing home. 

What Is A Nursing Home?

A nursing home, also known as a 

skilled nursing facility, is a place for 

people who don’t need to be in a 

hospital but can no longer be cared for 

at home. Being admitted to a nursing 

home is based on medical need. Most 

nursing homes have aides and skilled 
AgePage

National Institute on Aging

2 

Nursing Homes: 

Making The 

Right Choice

Lucille has lived in her home for 33 years. 

Even after her husband died 3 years ago, 

she was able to manage on her own. Recently, 

she broke her hip and now needs a wheelchair 

to get around. At 82, she is no longer able 

to be on her own. Her children all have 

busy lives. How are they going to care for 

their mother?

There are many long-term care 

choices that Lucille’s family might look 

into—one of them is a nursing home. 

What Is A Nursing Home?

A nursing home, also known as a 

skilled nursing facility, is a place for 

people who don’t need to be in a 

hospital but can no longer be cared for 

at home. Being admitted to a nursing 

home is based on medical need. Most 

nursing homes have aides and skilled 

nurses on hand 24 hours a day. Talk to 

the doctor to find out if a nursing home 

is the best choice.

Nursing homes can be:

F Hospital-like. This type of nursing 

home is often set up like a hospital. Staff 

give medical care, as well as physical, 

speech, and occupational therapy. There 

can be nurses’ stations on each floor. 

As a rule, one or two people live in a 

room. A number of nursing homes 

will let couples live together. Things 

that make a room special, like family 

photos, are often welcome.

F Household-like. These facilities are 

designed to be more like homes, and 

the day-to-day routine isn’t fixed. Teams 

of staff and residents try to create a 

neighborhood feel. Kitchens are often 

open to residents, decorations give a 

sense of home, and staff are encouraged 

to develop relationships with residents. 

Some nursing homes have visiting 

doctors who see their patients on site. 

Other nursing homes have patients 

visit the doctor’s office. Nursing homes 

sometimes have separate areas called 

Special Care Units for people with 

serious memory problems, like 

dementia. When looking for a nursing 

home, it’s important for families to 

think about special needs. 
AgePage

National Institute on Aging

2 

Nursing Homes: 

Making The 

Right Choice

Lucille has lived in her home for 33 years. 

Even after her husband died 3 years ago, 

she was able to manage on her own. Recently, 

she broke her hip and now needs a wheelchair 

to get around. At 82, she is no longer able 

to be on her own. Her children all have 

busy lives. How are they going to care for 

their mother?

There are many long-term care 

choices that Lucille’s family might look 

into—one of them is a nursing home. 

What Is A Nursing Home?

A nursing home, also known as a 

skilled nursing facility, is a place for 

people who don’t need to be in a 

hospital but can no longer be cared for 

at home. Being admitted to a nursing 

home is based on medical need. Most 

nursing homes have aides and skilled 

nurses on hand 24 hours a day. Talk to 

the doctor to find out if a nursing home 

is the best choice.

Nursing homes can be:

F Hospital-like. This type of nursing 

home is often set up like a hospital. Staff 

give medical care, as well as physical, 

speech, and occupational therapy. There 

can be nurses’ stations on each floor. 

As a rule, one or two people live in a 

room. A number of nursing homes 

will let couples live together. Things 

that make a room special, like family 

photos, are often welcome.

F Household-like. These facilities are 

designed to be more like homes, and 

the day-to-day routine isn’t fixed. Teams 

of staff and residents try to create a 

neighborhood feel. Kitchens are often 

open to residents, decorations give a 

sense of home, and staff are encouraged 

to develop relationships with residents. 

Some nursing homes have visiting 

doctors who see their patients on site. 

Other nursing homes have patients 

visit the doctor’s office. Nursing homes 

sometimes have separate areas called 

Special Care Units for people with 

serious memory problems, like 

dementia. When looking for a nursing 

home, it’s important for families to 

think about special needs. 
6 7 

visiting the Medicare website. You can 

also see summaries of recent inspection 

reports. Visit Nursing Home Compare 

at www.medicare.gov/NHCompare. The 

Nursing Home Checklist at the same 

website is a good guide to use when 

thinking about choosing a nursing home.

Many States have State Health 

Insurance Counseling and Assistance 

Programs (SHIP). These programs can 

help you choose the health insurance 

that is right for you and your family. Visit 

www.medicare.gov/Nursing/Payment.asp.

Each State also has a Long-Term 

Care Ombudsman office that helps 

people learn about long-term care. Your 

local office may be able to answer general 

questions about a specific nursing home. 

Also, once you are living in a nursing 

home, the Ombudsman can help solve 

problems you may have with a facility. The 

National Long-Term Care Ombudsman 

Resource Center has more information. 

Visit www.ltcombudsman.org.

A veteran in need of long-term care 

might be able to get help through the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

Visit www.va.gov or call VA Health Care 

Benefits toll-free at 1-877-222-8387. You 

can also contact a VA medical center 

near you.

vary widely. Look carefully at several 

policies before making a choice. 

Many people believe Medicare will 

pay for long stays in a nursing home, but 

it doesn’t. For example, Medicare will 

only cover the first 100 days in a skilled 

nursing home for someone who needs 

special care after leaving the hospital. 

State/Federal Medicaid programs may 

pay for long-term nursing home care, but 

there are many rules about qualifying. 

It is important to check with Medicare, 

Medicaid, and any private insurance 

company to find out the current rules.

When thinking about costs, keep 

in mind that there can be extra outof-pocket charges for some supplies, 

personal care like hair appointments, 

laundry, and services that are outside 

routine care.

Resources That Can Help

The rules about programs and 

benefits for nursing homes can change. 

Medicare has some helpful resources 

online. Visit www.medicare.gov for information about different care options. To 

learn more about the Medicaid program, 

see www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp.

You can find nursing homes in your 

area that are approved by the Centers 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services by 
6 7 

visiting the Medicare website. You can 

also see summaries of recent inspection 

reports. Visit Nursing Home Compare 

at www.medicare.gov/NHCompare. The 

Nursing Home Checklist at the same 

website is a good guide to use when 

thinking about choosing a nursing home.

Many States have State Health 

Insurance Counseling and Assistance 

Programs (SHIP). These programs can 

help you choose the health insurance 

that is right for you and your family. Visit 

www.medicare.gov/Nursing/Payment.asp.

Each State also has a Long-Term 

Care Ombudsman office that helps 

people learn about long-term care. Your 

local office may be able to answer general 

questions about a specific nursing home. 

Also, once you are living in a nursing 

home, the Ombudsman can help solve 

problems you may have with a facility. The 

National Long-Term Care Ombudsman 

Resource Center has more information. 

Visit www.ltcombudsman.org.

A veteran in need of long-term care 

might be able to get help through the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

Visit www.va.gov or call VA Health Care 

Benefits toll-free at 1-877-222-8387. You 

can also contact a VA medical center 

near you.

vary widely. Look carefully at several 

policies before making a choice. 

Many people believe Medicare will 

pay for long stays in a nursing home, but 

it doesn’t. For example, Medicare will 

only cover the first 100 days in a skilled 

nursing home for someone who needs 

special care after leaving the hospital. 

State/Federal Medicaid programs may 

pay for long-term nursing home care, but 

there are many rules about qualifying. 

It is important to check with Medicare, 

Medicaid, and any private insurance 

company to find out the current rules.

When thinking about costs, keep 

in mind that there can be extra outof-pocket charges for some supplies, 

personal care like hair appointments, 

laundry, and services that are outside 

routine care.

Resources That Can Help

The rules about programs and 

benefits for nursing homes can change. 

Medicare has some helpful resources 

online. Visit www.medicare.gov for information about different care options. To 

learn more about the Medicaid program, 

see www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp.

You can find nursing homes in your 

area that are approved by the Centers 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services by 
6 

vary widely. Look carefully at several 

policies before making a choice. 

Many people believe Medicare will 

pay for long stays in a nursing home, but 

it doesn’t. For example, Medicare will 

only cover the first 100 days in a skilled 

nursing home for someone who needs 

special care after leaving the hospital. 

State/Federal Medicaid programs may 

pay for long-term nursing home care, but 

there are many rules about qualifying. 

It is important to check with Medicare, 

Medicaid, and any private insurance 

company to find out the current rules.

When thinking about costs, keep 

in mind that there can be extra outof-pocket charges for some supplies, 

personal care like hair appointments, 

laundry, and services that are outside 

routine care.

Resources That Can Help

The rules about programs and 

benefits for nursing homes can change. 

Medicare has some helpful resources 

online. Visit www.medicare.gov for information about different care options. To 

learn more about the Medicaid program, 

see www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp.

You can find nursing homes in your 

area that are approved by the Centers 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services by