What should we do first when a Memphis hospital says a parent is ready for discharge?
Ask the case manager three things the same day: whether your parent is an inpatient or on observation status, what level of care the team recommends after discharge (home, home health, skilled nursing, inpatient rehab or long-term acute care), and which providers have accepted the referral.
Inpatient status for at least three days is what opens Medicare's skilled nursing benefit; observation days do not count. In the Memphis area most discharges come from Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (University, North, South, Germantown), Baptist Memorial (Memphis, Collierville, Tipton in Covington), Saint Francis (Memphis and Bartlett) or Regional One Health, and each has case managers whose job is this plan. Ask for the list of options in writing.
How do we choose a skilled nursing facility for rehab in Memphis?
Pick from facilities that have accepted the referral using three facts: the CMS star ratings and recent inspection results, nurse staffing hours per resident day, and distance from the family members who will visit.
Our nursing home roster shows the CMS rating, latest inspection date and deficiency count for every licensed home in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties, and each home's page compares staffing and turnover with the Memphis-area median. If the team recommends an inpatient rehabilitation hospital instead, ask what therapy intensity your parent must tolerate to qualify.
What if a parent can go home but not alone?
Ask the hospital to order Medicare home health if your parent is homebound and needs skilled nursing or therapy, then arrange non-medical help for the hours in between, privately or through the Aging Commission of the Mid-South at (901) 222-4111.
Set up medications before the first night: a pharmacy delivery, a pill organizer and someone who checks the new list against the old one. Falls in the first weeks after discharge are common, so clear walkways, add night lights and put a phone within reach of the bed.
When should we start a TennCare application during a hospital or rehab stay?
As soon as a long-term nursing home stay or long-term care at home looks likely and savings are limited, because TennCare eligibility takes time and Medicare skilled coverage can end abruptly.
The Aging Commission of the Mid-South screens people not yet on TennCare for CHOICES; current members call their health plan. Bring income and asset records, and ask the facility's business office to help with level-of-care paperwork.
Sources include Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18, Health Facilities Commission and TennCare pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
