Best Skilled Nursing Facilities

ProMedica Senior Care is a nonprofit system that offers skilled nursing facilities in 26 states. The company accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. It’s worth noting the skilled nursing facilities were formerly called HCR ManorCare before the company was bought out, but some locations retain the old name which can create some confusion.

ProMedica Senior Care services are available for care across a variety of specialties, including cardiac, diabetes, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonary, stroke, and wound care.

Patient ratings exceed national averages and ProMedica reports that most patients are discharged and able to return home without needing to seek re-admission at a hospital. These are positive metrics for ProMedica’s Senior Care patients after their short-term stays.

ProMedica also offers a transitional call program. After a short-term stay and discharge, staff periodically call former patients to ensure they are healthy and going to key medical appointments.

Although ProMedica Senior Care operates in just 26 states, its footprint is one of the larger ones we reviewed.

Life Care operates more than 200 skilled nursing facilities in 28 states, offering services such as:

• On-site rehabilitation
• Around-the-clock skilled nursing services
• On-site physicians
• Fine dining

When you or a loved one needs long-term care, it’s a good idea to choose a facility that offers transitions to short-term care or a nursing home environment. Life Care offers this continuity of care with most locations providing “continuum-of-care” services, which means a person can access independent living and assisted living options.

Life Care facilities typically offer inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

Life Care accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance policies that may vary by location.

It is worth noting in 2016, Life Care Centers of America agreed to pay $145 million to resolve a lawsuit regarding submitting false claims to Medicare and TRICARE, according to the Department of Justice.

The chief goal for skilled nursing facilities is to help a person return to their home when they are able to. Having a facility that can provide long-term services can be valuable, as a family already has an established relationship with the providers and staff.

Operating facilities in 24 states, some of the conditions The Good Samaritan Society highlights for care include balance therapy for those who experience frequent falls and post-surgery recovery rehabilitation.

In addition to offering short- and long-term care options for skilled nursing services, the organization also offers senior living for a higher level of care as well as lower-level care options, including outpatient therapy and home-based services.

The Good Samaritan Society also has a Caregiver Support department, which includes adult respite care for caregivers. In terms of inpatient rehabilitation services, it offers physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

While most skilled nursing facility websites advertise they accept Medicare, few go into detail about how they will work with you to coordinate Medicare benefits.

Brookdale Senior Living earned a spot on our list because it has a page on its website that discusses how to use Medicare to pay for skilled nursing services. Brookdale Senior Living has specialized representatives at its facilities who can further explain the details of Medicare coverage.

Brookdale Senior Living also accepts private insurance and can provide advice regarding assistance programs and how to help pay for skilled nursing if needed on a longer-term basis. The organization offers a number of types of care, including assisted living, memory care, and retirement communities.

Brookdale provides short- and long-term skilled nursing. Therapy services include occupational, physical, and speech therapy. Special offerings include quality dining, educational classes, social activities, and computer and Wi-Fi access. Its “Ageless Spirit” program provides ways to explore spirituality, such as meditation.

With more than 740 senior living communities, Brookdale has a large, 42-state footprint. It does not operate in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Not all facilities offer skilled nursing services.

The Ensign Group is an organization that operates 227 healthcare facilities. Skilled nursing facilities represent the largest part of the company's portfolio, although it does have 24 assisted living communities should a person need to transition their care level.

An estimated 47.7% of The Ensign Group’s transitional skilled services come from Medicaid payments, which means the organization is adept at navigating Medicaid payments and explaining how to pay for care. Another 25.8% come from Medicare payments, according to the company’s 2019 annual report.

The group hires in-house therapy teams, which helps establish continuity of care for residents. Therapy services include physical, occupational, and speech and language pathology.

One of the major drawbacks of The Ensign Group is that it only operates in 13 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. However, the company continues to acquire additional facilities and properties. Some centers may operate under different names after they're acquired, which can prove confusing at times.