Don’t Bring These 10 Things to a Long-Term Skilled Nursing Facility
Is your loved one getting ready to join a long-term skilled nursing facility nearby? If so, we encourage you to bring items to make their new address feel more like home, such as family photos and other mementos.
However, for safety, and convenience, there are a few things that might be better for you and your loved one to keep at home.
Don’t Bring These Items to a Skilled Nursing Facility
1. Throw Rugs
While these can create a stylish splash of color, they’re also a tripping hazard. In fact, it’s a good idea to leave any type of mat or carpet at home, especially if your loved one has undergone some type of physical rehabilitation or has difficulty getting around.
2. Collectables
Hobbies are great. We encourage them! In fact, in our community, they’ll find activities to help develop hobbies or even discover new ones. However, some people may collect items such as figurines as part of their hobby.
If this is the case, there will probably not be enough room to house the collection at the new address.
If your family member doesn’t want to part with their treasures, offer to store them or pick out one or two favorite pieces to keep on display. Remember that this is a big transition, and it’s important for your loved one to feel that their voice is heard.
3. Large pieces of furniture
To be clear, large pieces of furniture are not banned, but they do need to be preapproved. In many cases, these pieces may be so bulky that they can interfere with care or violate fire code standards.
Besides, it’s also far too easy to bump into the sharp corner of a table or dresser.
We realize they may have some favorite pieces, but we encourage you to check with us first to save time and trouble.
4. Duplicate items
While we have wonderful rooms for our residents, they simply do not have the storage that a large apartment or a house has. Therefore, whenever possible, eliminate any duplicate items.
5. Chairs on wheels
These are unsteady and can easily slide out from under you when attempting to sit. Please remember that we only have the safety of your loved one as our first priority because we are the best skilled nursing facility in the area.
If you need to bring chairs, we’ll be happy to look at them to ensure they don’t pose a tripping or falling hazard.
6. Seldom-worn jewelry
Again, we realize there are some pieces—such as wedding rings or anniversary gifts—that carry a huge sentimental value, and we encourage our residents to keep these pieces. However, this is not the place to have a large jewelry collection, particularly if they are worn very infrequently.
7. Candles
For safety reasons, open flames aren’t allowed. We realize that fragrance may be what your loved one wants, and if that’s the case, look into using essential oils or other air fresheners that don’t require a flame.
8. Heat-generating items
We want your loved one to be comfortable, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that their room is at a comfortable temperature. However, space heaters and electric blankets can cause fire hazards.
Instead, we encourage investment in lovely throw blankets in order to keep cozy.
9. Tools or any other maintenance items
One of the good things about long-term skilled nursing facilities is that there are maintenance teams who can help you with your needs and fix any items around your room or senior living apartment.
10. An extensive wardrobe
Once again, this is a matter of space. A skilled nursing community doesn’t have the closet space that a house has. You may want to consider storing some of your loved one’s outfits and then “switching them out” periodically throughout the year.
What Services are Offered in a Long-Term Care Facility?
Long-term care, or skilled nursing communities, help those who need 24/7 medical attention. These may be individuals affected by heart disease or other illnesses. They are also utilized for short-term rehabilitation for those who have had procedures like hip or knee replacements.
Other services offered include:
- Nursing care
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
All these communities are required to meet stringent standards from Medicare and other governmental regulated organizations.
Why East Carolina Rehabilitation is the Best Skilled Nursing Facility
We believe that a community is more than four walls and a room. We believe that there is a vibrant, intangible element that truly makes someplace home.
That’s why at East Carolina Rehabilitation, we treat your loved one the same way we’d treat our own parents and grandparents. Our friendly staff treats everyone like family, which is why so many of our residents love living here.
We realize those are just words—which is why we encourage you to experience East Carolina Rehabilitation for yourself! Schedule a tour with us today. Hurry, and reserve your spot because our rooms tend to fill quickly.