Nursing homes: what you need to know for quality patient care

The United States has 20,000 nursing homes and 1.5 to 2 million nursing home beds. Your choice of a nursing home often depends on its distance from the office and the preferences of colleagues and patients. The quality of care in a particular facility may be suggested by the bacteria found in urine, blood, and skin cultures from symptomatic patients. Communication with the nursing home staff is key to a well-organized practice. For quality of care and efficient reimbursement, limit the number of patients seen per visit. Federal law controls the use of physical restraints and drugs to manage problem behaviors.