Deciding which nursing home to put your unhealthy child in is never easy. In Maryland, United States, there are several places that pride themselves as providing top-quality care. Children's nursing homes are designed to provide specific care for your child. Sending your physically or mentally disabled son or daughter to one of these facilities is a option chosen by parents or guardians who can't take care of their child's everyday needs. Each facility provides constant nursing care for its residents.
Children's Nursing Homes
Children's nursing homes have operated in Maryland from as far back as 1863. Most of the homes provide short- and long-term care for youths aged 13 to 21. Some homes are designed for children who have suffered abuse, violence, abandonment, neglect, or who need supervised care. Therapeutic programs help children feel loved, secure and provide them with an impression of belonging. Programs are designed to help the kids attend school, experience trusting and lasting relationships with adults and peers, as well as to increase self-esteem.
Programs
Various types of care are available at each nursing home. The Group Home is a long-term care program, where the patients live in the care center. The home is generally for boys and girls between 13 and 21, or the children can stay in a home for people aged 17 to 21. A Diagnostic Center is also available for short-term emergency care for girls between 13 and 19 years old. The Treatment Foster Care Program is designed for temporary residents to receive specialized care for behavioral and emotional problems. Boys and girls aged 3 to 18 are accepted. The Transitions Program provides short-term resident care for boys and girls aged 13 and 14, offering diagnostic and therapeutic care with constant supervision in a setting similar to an average home. Other, community-based, services assist families in their homes.
Maryland Medical Assistance Program
Medicaid covers long-term stays to eligible patients. Low-income families, as well as children who meet financial and other eligibility requirements for Maryland's Temporary Cash Assistance Program are already eligible for Medicaid. People who receive money from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration are also eligible for coverage. Those who have lost their eligibility for SSI because of an annual cost of living hike are also eligible. See the resources section below for more information about the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. Children can also be covered under the Maryland Children's Health Program. If the child's family income is less than 200 percent more than the Federal Poverty Level, they qualify.
Medicare
Staying in a nursing home in the United States can cost several thousand dollars or more. The cost of care was estimated in 2004 at $70,000 per year, according to ConsumerAffairs.com. Of the estimated 16,100 nursing homes in the United States in 2004, approximately 99 percent were eligible to participate in the medicare and medicaid programs. Medicare pays for between 20 and 100 days for those who require skilled rehabilitation or nursing. Medicare also covers patients who need custodial care and who meet a state-tested income and asset assessment.
Services
Nurses, assistants and aids, as well as occupational and speech therapists, are on hand to assist your child if needed. Recreational assistants and social workers are also there to provide care. Approximately 40 certified assistants for every 100 patient beds were on hand in 2004. The number of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses for every 100 beds was 7 in the same year.
