When you have a relative with some type of disability or a specific medical condition and you cannot give them the support they need, a nursing home is an ideal place for them. It is a space where you can accommodate them and receive 24-hour medical care and support from a variety of qualified professionals and nurses.
They provide attention to people that need short-term or long-term assistance, but sometimes depending on the condition of the patient, they might need better or personalized care that the actual facility cannot provide. In this case, you can always transfer or discharge your relative but under certain circumstances.
In this article, we will walk you through the process of how to transfer someone from a nursing home to another and other things you need to take into consideration. Keep reading!
What is a nursing home?
It is a facility specifically made for the elder or people with a special condition or disability. In a nursing home, there is a qualified staff that provides attention according to the condition of the resident and his necessities.
Usually, their service is 24 hours a day, so you should not worry about lack of staff or care, because they are trained to attend them as much as they need.
Reasons to transfer a resident to another nursing home
Transferring one of your loved ones to another nursing home can be a difficult choice, but when they need superior medical care, you might want to do it.
Although there are other circumstances that make you want to opt for the transfer. For example:
- If the staff does not meet the necessary standards to care for the resident, so it endangers his health and safety.
- In case the family needs to move to another place and want to visit the resident or stay close in case of an emergency, transferring to another place can be an option.
- The nursing home is about to end its services.
- If the prices of the current home increase and you cannot afford them anymore.
Process of transferring
Keep in mind that nursing homes are not allowed to move residents in the US that easily. They can only be transferred or even discharged from the home for real and reasoned reasons; this means, that you must support your requirement with appropriate documentation and talk to the nursing staff directly.
If there is no proof about why you want to move your relative, then the facility has the right to deny the transfer or discharge. While following the procedure, there are things you need to plan to ensure that your relative receives the attention they need.
Follow these steps:
-
Decide on the adequate nursing home
First of all, you should take a look at the different facilities that cover the necessities of the resident. You can use the Medicare Care Compare website to evaluate nursing homes depending on different factors.
-
Send your PRI
Also known as Patient Review Instrument, you need to tell the admission staff at your current nursing home to send the PRI to your preferred nursing home. Once the other home evaluates your case and condition, they’ll accept your petition if there is also a room available and if the patient meets the eligibility requirements.
-
Transfer your Medicare insurance
Medicare is the Federal Health Insurance program that assists people in need, especially people older than 65 years old; it helps you to cover your health care costs. So, if you have it, then you will want to request the same assistance but for this new nursing home (if it meets the Medicare requirements).
-
Transfer your secondary insurance
Those types of insurance that cover services and costs that Medicare doesn’t include can easily be transferred. But programs like Medicaid are not that simple. If the relative is trying to go to another facility outside of the state, you need to terminate the original Medicaid in your state before applying to another.
-
Apply for Medicaid in the residency
Once your relative is admitted to the new place, you can apply for a new Medicaid program of that state (if you move out). The acceptance for the program normally takes around 90 days, and you can ask the staff to help you in the process.
-
Move to the new nursing home
Finally, you can coordinate the transfer with the staff of both nursing homes. There are options of transportation like going in an ambulance, ambulette, or even by plane if it is outside the state.