What are skilled nursing facilities?

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), also known as nursing homes, provide round-the-clock nursing care, support for activities of daily living (ADLs), and specialist therapy services in a non-hospital setting. These facilities serve older adults and adults with disabilities who have long-term care needs, as well as adults of all ages who require temporary, post-acute care.

What is the difference between skilled nursing and assisted living?

Skilled nursing facilities provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses, while assisted living focuses on help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and meals. SNFs are appropriate for those with complex medical needs, post-surgical recovery, or requiring rehabilitation. Assisted living is better suited for seniors who need some support but not constant medical supervision.

What staffing levels should I look for in a nursing home?

CMS recommends nursing homes provide at least 4.1 hours of total nursing care per resident per day, including 0.75 RN hours and 2.5 CNA hours. Higher staffing levels generally correlate with better care quality. Look for facilities that meet or exceed these benchmarks, and check staff turnover rates—high turnover (above 50%) can indicate problems.

Does Medicare cover skilled nursing facility care?

Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care for up to 100 days following a qualifying hospital stay of at least 3 days. Days 1-20 are covered at 100%. Days 21-100 require a daily copay. For long-term care beyond 100 days, payment options include Medicaid (for those who qualify), private pay, long-term care insurance, and Veterans benefits.

How do I evaluate the quality of a nursing home?

Look at the Medicare star rating (overall, health inspection, staffing, and quality measures), visit in person to observe cleanliness and staff interactions, ask about staff-to-resident ratios and turnover, review state inspection reports, and talk to current residents and families. CareListings provides CMS data including staffing levels, quality ratings, and occupancy information to help you compare facilities.

Find Skilled Nursing Facilities Near You

Search 15,079 Skilled Nursing Facilities across the United States

Popular: Chicago, IL Los Angeles, CA Cincinnati, OH Houston, TX San Antonio, TX

The National Landscape

Understanding Skilled Nursing Facilities across the United States

15,079

Skilled Nursing Facilitys Nationwide

1,633,276

Total Beds

78%

Avg. Occupancy

★ 2.8

Avg. Medicare Rating

Quality Rating Distribution

Medicare star ratings across all facilities

★★★★★ 18%

★★★★ 17%

★★★ 20%

★★ 21%

★ 24%

About 35% of facilities have 4 or more stars. Ratings combine health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures.

National Staffing Averages

Hours of care per resident per day

0.7

RN Hours

0.9

LPN Hours

2.3

CNA Hours

3.8

Total Care Hours

CMS recommends facilities provide at least 4.1 hours of total nursing care per resident per day. Look for facilities that meet or exceed this benchmark.

Data from CMS Nursing Home Compare (Dataset 4pq5-n9py), updated quarterly. Staffing data from Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) submissions.

Understanding Skilled Nursing Facilities

Two Types of Care

Short-term rehab: Recovery after surgery, stroke, or hospitalization. Average stay is 22-28 days.
Long-term care: Ongoing nursing for chronic conditions, dementia, or complex medical needs.
Both include 24/7 nursing, therapy services, meals, and activities.

When SNF Care Makes Sense

After joint replacement, cardiac surgery, or stroke
When home care isn't enough for medical needs
For conditions requiring daily nursing (wound care, IVs, tube feeding)
When safety at home is a concern due to falls or cognitive decline

Key Differences

vs Assisted Living: SNFs have licensed nurses 24/7; ALFs have caregivers with nurses on-call.
vs Rehab Hospitals: SNFs cost less and are for stable patients; rehab hospitals are for intensive therapy.
vs Home Health: SNF is residential; home health visits your home 1-2 hours at a time.

How to Evaluate Quality

Understand the Star Rating: CMS rates facilities 1-5 stars based on health inspections (weight: 53%), staffing (32%), and quality measures (15%). A 4-star facility might have great staffing but a recent inspection issue.

Check Staffing Hours: Research shows better outcomes when total nursing hours exceed 4.1 per resident per day. RN hours matter most for complex care—look for 0.75+ RN hours daily.

Look at Turnover: Staff who stay learn residents' needs. National average turnover is around 50%—lower is better. Ask about administrator tenure too.

Review Inspection Reports: Every facility is inspected annually. Look for patterns—isolated issues differ from repeated citations for the same problem.