Guidance for your family’s next step

Skilled nursing (what Heartway provides) offers 24-hour licensed medical and rehabilitative care for people with significant health needs — wound care, IV therapy, medication management, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and complex daily-living support. Assisted living is for people who are largely independent but need help with a few daily tasks, and does not include round-the-clock skilled medical care. If your loved one is coming from a hospital, recovering from surgery, or needs nursing-level care, skilled nursing is the right level.

Skilled nursing provides medical care from licensed nurses and therapists — often short-term, after a hospital stay or surgery. Long-term care is ongoing daily support for residents who need help with the activities of daily living. Heartway communities offer both, so residents can transition smoothly as needs change.

Medicare may cover short-term skilled nursing and rehabilitation following a qualifying hospital stay, typically for a limited number of days. It generally does not cover long-term custodial care. Medicaid, long-term-care insurance, and private pay are common options for ongoing care — our team will help you sort through them.

Medicare covers a limited number of skilled-nursing days per benefit period. As those days are used, our admissions and social-services team works with your family ahead of time to plan the next step — transitioning to Medicaid (if eligible), long-term-care insurance, VA benefits or private pay. You will never be left to figure it out alone.

Yes. Many of our residents arrive directly from a hospital for short-term rehabilitation after an illness, injury or surgery. Hospital discharge planners can coordinate the transfer with our admissions team, and we accept new admissions seven days a week.

Comfortable, easy-to-launder clothing labeled with your loved one’s name; current medications and a medication list; insurance and identification cards; eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures if used; and a few personal touches — photos, a favorite blanket or chair — to make the room feel like home. Your community will give you a full checklist ahead of time.

Family and friends are always welcome. Each community keeps open, flexible visiting so loved ones stay close and involved in care. Call the community directly for current visiting guidance, which can occasionally change for health and safety reasons.

Absolutely — and we encourage it. Call any community to arrange a visit. You’ll meet the team, see the home, and get answers to every question before making a decision.

Yes. Heartway Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our focus is the people in our care and the communities we serve, not outside shareholders.