At a minimum, SNF's provide medical, nursing, dietary, pharmacy, and activity services. Because of their physical appearance, these facilities are often confused with the SNF's. Intermediate care, however, is less extensive than skilled nursing care and generally serves patients who are ambulatory and need less supervision and care. At a minimum, ICF's provide medical, intermittent nursing, dietary, pharmacy, and activity services. Some SNF's have a designated number of beds for long-term mental patients.
All state governments require that nursing homes be licensed.
The licensing requirements establish acceptable practices for care and services. State inspectors visit nursing homes at least once a year to determine their compliance with state standards and their qualifications to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Some have been approved to provide both skilled nursing and intermediate care services. Some nursing homes are operated as nonprofit corporations. They are sponsored by religious, charitable, fraternal, and other groups or run by government agencies at the federal, state, or local levels.