Your Guide to Choosing A Nursing Home or Other Long-Term Care

People go to nursing homes for different reasons, including if they’re sick, hurt, had surgery and need to get better, or have chronic care needs or disabilities that require on-going nursing care. “Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home or Other Long-Term Care” can help you make informed decisions about nursing home care, whether you’re planning ahead or need to make an unexpected decision. Before you get started: You may have other long-term care choices, like community services, home care, or assisted living, depending on your needs and resources. Before choosing a nursing home, you can check to see if one of these other options is available to you or if they might help after a nursing home stay. For more information on your long-term care choices, see Section 3. If you have Medicare: Medicare generally doesn’t cover long-term care stays in a nursing home. See Section 5 for more information. If you have Medicaid: You may be eligible for home and community-based services covered by Medicaid. You may also be eligible for in-home, long-term supports and services if you have a disability, regardless of your age. See Section 5 for more information. Not all nursing homes are certified to participate in Medicare or Medicaid. See pages 47–52 for more information on how programs protect nursing home residents.