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Senior Services
If you or someone you care about is living in a local nursing home, it is comforting to know that compassionate and expert care is available. Mayo Clinic Health System offers senior care for those living in local nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.
Nursing home-designated primary care physicians and advanced practice providers deliver personalized, high-level care in the place you or your loved one calls home.
Find out more about our senior care services:
- Conditions and consultations
- Treatments and services
- Senior care specialists
- Referrals
- FAQ
- Senior services locations near you
- Senior services providers near you
Conditions and consultations
Medical care in the nursing home setting can be requested by:
- The nursing home resident
- A resident's family member
- Nursing home staff
When you request medical care for yourself or a loved one, visits from advanced practice providers and physicians will include:
- Initial medical evaluation: Our advanced practice providers come for an initial visit within the first week of admission to a nursing home. A physician will visit within the first month.
- Ongoing medical care: In accordance with Medicaid and Medicare regulations, physicians or advanced practice providers will alternate visits. They see residents every 30 days for the first three months following admission. After that, they see residents every 60 days or according to their medical needs.
Treatments and services
In addition to an initial evaluation, advanced practice providers offer ongoing, weekly medical care at skilled nursing facilities. They remain in regular contact with the primary care physician.
Advanced practice providers perform a variety of services, such as caring for a specialized medical condition, monitoring an ongoing chronic condition and addressing acute illnesses. These services may vary by location.
The care you receive from an advanced practice provider may include:
- Advance care planning
- Anticoagulant (warfarin) management
- Counseling
- Dementia and behavioral management
- Diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases
- Discharge planning
- End-of-life hospice care
- Health histories
- Medicare and Medicaid recertification visits
- Medication prescriptions
- Physical examinations
- Preventive care
- Wound care
Senior care specialists
The primary care and advanced practice providers who offer senior services offer the same expertise and level of care that you find in a Mayo Clinic Health System hospital or clinic.
Referrals
A referral may be required for senior care services. Call your preferred senior care location to learn more.
If you are a provider, you can refer a patient online, by phone or by fax.
FAQ
What is an advanced practice provider?
Advanced practice providers are medical professionals who are trained and licensed to diagnose, treat and manage common medical conditions. They are not doctors, but advanced practice providers can:
- Offer guidance for living a healthy lifestyle
- Perform physical exams
- Prescribe medication
- Refer to specialists and other healthcare providers
- Request lab and imaging tests
- Review test results
Advanced practice providers include two groups of medical professionals:
- Nurse practitioners have a master's or doctoral degree in nursing, as well as specialized advanced education and clinical training.
- Physician assistants have a master's degree in physician assistant studies and a specialized physician assistant certification.
How can I request a medical consultation beyond routine senior care
If you or a loved one becomes ill or has a chronic illness requiring attention, discuss your concerns with a nurse at the nursing home. The nurse will evaluate the medical concern and discuss the matter with an advanced practice provider. If appropriate, the nurse will make an appointment for you with an advanced practice provider.
What are my payment options for senior services, and do you offer financial assistance?
Health insurance varies. Contact your insurance provider to understand coverage for medical care while living in a nursing home. Our Patient Account Services team is happy to answer any questions and help you navigate billing and insurance.
We serve patients in difficult financial circumstances. We offer financial assistance to those who have an established need to receive medically necessary services.
