nursing home
Meaning of nursing home: The defining feature is a continuous nursing presence, which is what separates it from assisted living and from care delivered at home.
Definition of nursing home
A nursing home is a residential facility providing around-the-clock personal care and nursing supervision for people who cannot manage daily living on their own. Staff assist with washing, dressing, eating, moving and medication, and licensed nurses are present at all hours. It occupies the ground between living at home with support and the intensive treatment a hospital provides.
Who lives in one, and for how long?
Two quite different groups share the same building. Long-stay residents have lasting physical or cognitive limitations, most often after a stroke, with advanced dementia, or with frailty that makes independent living unsafe, and they may live there for years. Short-stay residents arrive from hospital for a period of recovery after a fracture, surgery or serious illness, receiving daily physical therapy and nursing care with the intention of returning home. A third pattern is a brief planned stay arranged as respite care, which gives a family caregiver a break.
How does it differ from the alternatives?
| Setting | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Care at home | Visiting help for set hours; the household remains responsible the rest of the time |
| Assisted living | Own apartment with meals, social activity and help on request; no continuous nursing |
| Nursing home | Personal care plus licensed nursing present at all hours |
| Hospital | Diagnosis and treatment of acute illness, with specialist staff and equipment |
Who works there?
Most hands-on help with activities of daily living comes from nursing assistants, supervised by licensed nurses who manage medication, wound care and changes in condition. Physical, occupational and speech therapists work with residents recovering function. Dietitians, social workers and activity staff cover nutrition, benefits, placement and daily life. Medical oversight generally comes from a visiting physician or nurse practitioner rather than one based on site, and a named clinician usually holds responsibility for medical policy across the facility. Staffing levels, inspection findings and quality measures differ considerably between facilities and are published in public rating systems, which is why two homes offering the same description of services can differ substantially in what a resident actually receives day to day.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient was discharged to a nursing home for continued assistance with daily activities during recovery.
Good to know
A nursing home differs from a hospital in providing ongoing personal and nursing care rather than treatment of acute illness, though many facilities also manage long-term conditions and coordinate visiting medical care.