Nursing homes are facilities that are designed to meet the needs of people convalescing from illness. In addition, they are intended to provide long term nursing supervision and meet the needs of people with long-term medical problems. Today nursing homes serve individuals with more severe health problems than they did in the past. They are required to provide medical care, room, and board to individuals of all ages on a long or short-term basis. Oftentimes, patients recovering from an illness or major surgery go to a nursing facility before they return to their homes.

A nursing home is not a hospital and does not give the acute care that is provided in a hospital setting. The goal of the nursing homes is to provide care and treatment so that the patient's highest level of physical and mental well being are restored or maintained. Besides medical services...