We anticipate that our families will have many questions and we understand. Here are some of these often-asked questions:

· Are you a Medicare/MediCal certified skilled nursing facility and do you accept HMO residents?
Yes, we are a 144 bed Medicare/MediCal certified skilled nursing facility and we welcome HMO residents.

· What can I expect from nursing?
We have registered nurses on duty 24 hours a day, 7 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 nurse assistants (CNA's) who help residents with bathing, dressing, and meals. In addition, the CNA staff take daily 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 resident's medical condition. We are here to assist with the families' concerns as well as the residents'.

· How many days do residents receive therapy?
6 days a week or whatever your insurance authorizes.

· Who does the residents' laundry?
Our facility offers laundry services or a family may elect to do a resident's laundry at home.

· How much clothing should be provided for each resident?
We would like families to provide at least seven days of clothing including 2 or 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 resident's name on each article of clothing.

· What are the visiting hours?
Visiting hours are from 8 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 judgement in regard to the length of stay per visit and the time of the visit.

· Is there a hairdresser available?
Yes. The hair salon is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our hairdresser will see both male and female residents by appointment. Please see the hairdresser to make an appointment for your family member or friend.

· How often does the doctor see the resident?
Physicians are required to see residents 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 residents, but will come in if a resident is experiencing a change of condition.

· What if the resident needs a consultation for other services?
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

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

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

· Who will make transportation arrangements for residents who have appointments outside Turlock Nursing & Rehabilitation Center?
Social Services make all transportation arrangements.

· What types of activities do you provide?
We post a monthly calendar that shows each day's schedule of activities for our residents. These activities include (but are not limited to) the following: Bingo, Music, Arts & Crafts, Outings using our bus, Cooking classes, Adult Education, Movies, Petting Zoo, Speakers, Physical Fitness, The Daily News, etc.
Church Services:
Sunday: All denomination services
Tuesday: Catholic Services

· May I take a resident out of the facility?
Yes, but only if there is a written physician's order. Part "A" Medicare residents are the exception. Medicare feels that if a resident needs skilled Part "A" coverage, that he/she is too ill to leave the building except for doctor visits or tests scheduled at an acute hospital. Other residents need to be signed out by the responsible party at the nurse's station.

· Which languages are spoken in the facility?
In addition to English, we have employees that speak and write Spanish, Japanese, Punjabi, Hindu, Portuguese, Assyrian, and Filipino. In the case of less common languages, we have communication books with pictures so our nursing staff is able to meet the residents' needs. We also ask family members to help us develop a word bank in the resident's native language to provide a communication system.

· May we bring family pets in to visit?
This is usually not a problem, but please check with the activities department or the charge nurse first. You should be able to produce proof of a pet's immunizations upon request by staff.