We anticipate our families to have many questions and we do understand. Here are some of these often asked questions:

Q: Are you a Medicare/MediCal certified skilled nursing facility or do you accept HMO patients?
A: Yes, we are a 99-bed MediCare/MediCal fully certified skilled nursing facility and we welcome HMO patients.

Q: Does the Department of Health review this skilled nursing facility?
A: Yes. We are routinely evaluated by the Department of Health. These visits are always unannounced and every aspect of patient care is investigated. We have received superior evaluations because we maintain rigorous standards and expectations for our employees with regard to patient care.

Q: What can I expect from nursing?
A: We have registered nurses on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our nurses have to meet standards set by the State of California's Board of Registered Nurses for licensure. The charge nurses supervise a staff of certified assistants (CNA's) who help patients with bathing, dressing, and meals. In addition, the CNA staff take vital signs; i.e., blood pressure, temperature, and pulse and report these to the charge nurse. Family members may also call the charge nurse at any time for a status report on a patient's medical condition. We are here to assist with the family's concerns as well as the patients.

Q: How many days is therapy?
A: All therapies require a physician's order and typically are provided 5 days per week. In the case of an HMO, therapy must also have authorization for treatment from the HMO's case manager or utilization manager. The amount of therapy received by a patient is dependent on how much progress the patient makes. All therapists need to document significant progress to keep a patient on a caseload. Further information is available from our facility rehabilitation director and our building administrator.

Q: Who does the patient's laundry?
A: Our facility offers laundry services or a family may elect to do a patient's laundry at home.

Q: How much clothing should be provided for each patient?
A: We would like families to provide at least seven days of clothing including 2-3 warm sweaters, slippers, and a robe if possible. Clothing should be comfortable and easy to put on and take off. Please use a permanent marker to put the patient's name on each article of clothing.

Q: What are the visiting hours?
A: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. We understand that most of us work and have difficulty visiting during the daytime. We ask that families use their best judgment in regard to the length of stay per visit and the time of the visit.

Q: Is there a hairdresser available?
A: Yes. The hairdresser is here on Tuesdays. Please see Social Services for information on making an appointment and any applicable costs.

Q: How often does the doctor see the resident?
A: Physicians are required to see patients shortly after admission. However, the charge nurse does contact the doctor at the time of admission for medication orders, dietary requirements, and other considerations. Doctors are required to make a monthly visit for long-term care patients but will come in if a patient is experiencing a change of condition in medical status.

Q: Who do I contact regarding insurance and billing questions?
A: Our business office manager should be able to help you with most of your questions and concerns. If you have a HMO, you can discuss any concerns with the case manager assigned to the patients.

Q: Who do I see if I have dietary concerns?
A: We have a dietary supervisor that is available to discuss patient preferences and needs with the patient and/or family. We also have a registered dietician that monitors each patient's dietary requirements, weight gain and/or loss, etc. In addition, our speech therapist is available to discuss special concerns due to a patient's inability to swallow safely. We ask family members to please do not bring in food from home unless the charge nurse has indicated that it is safe to do so.

Q: Who will make transportation arrangements for patients who have appointments outside Huntington Park?
A: Social Services make all transportation arrangements. We have a wheelchair accessible van to assist with resident transportation needs; however, we do expect family members to accompany residents to appointments for their comfort.

Q: What if the patient needs a consultation for other services?
A: We contract with many ancillary service providers including
(but not limited to) the following:
Audiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Dentistry, Orthotics & Prosthetics, Podiatry, X-ray services, Optometry, Opthamology, Dermatology, Respiratory Therapy

Q: What types of activities do you provide?
A: We post a monthly calendar, which shows each day's schedule of activities for our residents. These activities include (but are not limited to) the following: Entertainers, Speakers, Physical Fitness, The Daily News, Church Services

Q: May I take a patient out of the facility?
A: Yes, but only if there is a written physician's order. Part A Medicare patients are often too ill to leave the building with the exception of doctor's visits or tests scheduled at an acute skilled nursing facility and are not able to leave the facility overnight. Other residents need to be signed out by the responsible party at the nurse's station.

Q: Which languages are spoken in the facility?
A: Virtually all our employees speak Spanish and / or English. We also have employees who speak multiple Filipino dialects. In the case of less common languages, we ask family members to help us develop a word bank in the patient's native language to provide a communication system. We also are in contact with community resources that assist us with establishing communication. Sometimes we use pictures for our nursing staff in understanding how to meet patient needs.

Q: May we bring family pets in to visit?
A: This is usually not a problem but please check with the charge nurse first.