Care facility: the first conversation
What to ask a skilled nursing / rehab / assisted-living facility before saying yes
Who to call
The facility's admissions office. Go in with the hospital case manager's recommendation list, not cold.
Before you call
- Know the level of care doctors are recommending (rehab, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care)
- Know what insurance they have (Medicare, Medigap/Advantage, long-term-care insurance, Medicaid status)
- Have a rough picture of monthly income and liquid assets — even a draft (the Plan phase of this app builds it)
- Bring a second family member on the call if you can — four ears are better than two
What to say
“My family member is being discharged from [hospital], and the care team recommends [level of care]. I'd like to understand availability, your base monthly cost, and what that cost does and doesn't include.”
“What does Medicare cover for this stay, and for how long? What happens when Medicare days run out? Do you accept Medicaid if their funds are eventually exhausted, and can they stay in the same bed after converting to Medicaid?”
“Please send the admission agreement in advance. We will not be signing as "responsible party" personally — the agreement will be signed under power of attorney on their behalf, with their funds.”
Good to know
- NEVER sign an admission agreement as personal guarantor. Sign only as agent under POA ("Jane Doe, as agent for Robert Roe"). Facilities may not require a family guarantee as a condition of admission.
- Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing after a qualifying hospital stay — days 21–100 have a daily copay. It is rehab coverage, not long-term-care coverage.
- "Do you accept Medicaid, and is bed-hold guaranteed on conversion?" is the question that matters most for long stays.
- Ask for the facility's latest state inspection report, or look it up on Medicare.gov Care Compare.
Do this together, with the free app
Steady Dignity turns these guides into a shared family workspace: guided checklists, an AI-drafted bill inventory from photographed statements, call scripts filled in with your family's names, and roles so relatives can help without seeing more than they should. Free — no ads, no selling your data.
Start free at steadydignity.com