Frequently Asked Questions
Our Skilled Nursing Units have physicians rounding throughout the week, as well as available by phone. Within 72 hours of admission, you will be seen by your attending physician, who will complete a history and physical and medication reconciliation.
Your physician is available to the nursing staff via phone and network communication. After each visit, your physician will communicate with the nursing staff any changes or updates in your treatment plan, as well as document in your medical record. We encourage you to participate in your treatment, and will help answer any questions about your medical needs throughout your stay. You may also choose your own attending.
Please bring the following items with you for your stay:
- Driver’s License or other I.D.
- Insurance and/or prescription cards
- Power of Attorney documents, Living Will and Advance Directives (if available)
- A week’s worth of clothing including but not limited to; day clothes, night clothes, under garments, non-skid socks and footwear.
Other things to consider bringing:
- Photos and cards may be used in your room or on a unit display boards.
- Items used in regular oral hygiene and skin care are provided by the facility. However, you may also bring personal care items from home if you choose. This may include; shampoo, lotion, deodorant, combs or brushes, incontinence products, denture supplies, toothpaste, a toothbrush and mouthwash.
Things we do not recommend bringing:
- We recommend leaving valuables and other items with personal value at home to avoid loss or damage.
- Bed linens and towels are provided free of charge.
Advance directives are legal documents such as a living will or durable power of attorney. These types of documents allow you to spell out your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. Filling out advance directives gives people control over their health care. Choices about end-of-life care can be hard to make even when people are healthy. But if they are already seriously ill, such decisions can seem overwhelming. Although patients may turn to family and friends for advice, ultimately it is the patient’s decision. We want to help you and your loved ones make decisions in a period of stability, as opposed to a crisis. Advance Care Planning is for anyone at any age, and at any stage.
If talking with your family and other loved ones is difficult, we can help. Consider having a family meeting and invite a social worker or member of the faith community to guide the discussion. Our Social Worker/Discharge Planners are happy to help arrange a meeting with your family, or provide educational material as needed.
To learn more about advance directives you can also visit our website, or speak to a member of our team.
The Skilled Nursing Facility believes that visits from relatives and friends can help you through the healing process by improving your outlook and giving you emotional support. Restrictions may apply during flu season and/or based on current Covid-19 regulations. Current Visitation Guidelines.
After Hours Visitation Policy:
As a measure to ensure the safest possible environment for patients and others in the hospital, the after-hours visitation policy requires that all visitors who are in the hospital between 9 pm and 5 am wear a personalized photo badge. As part of this process, a visitor will supply identification information to a member of the Security team. This information will be entered into a visitor database, and then a photo badge will be generated and issued to the visitor. Badges are void after 24 hours. A member of the security team will visit patient to process information of those visitors staying after hours. Visitors may also go directly to the Security Department to obtain an after-hours badge.
Patients are asked to park in the parking facility that best describes the type of service needed at the hospital while you are here (e.g. emergency, outpatient, etc.). For more information about parking, contact the St. Elizabeth Security Department by calling the main hospital at (859) 301-2000 and asking to speak with Security. Visitors may park in any of St. Elizabeth’s parking garages or lots at no charge.
Arrangements for a daily newspaper may be made through the Activity Department. Members of Primewise are eligible to receive a free newspaper daily during your stay. Speak to a member of our Activity Department for more information.
For information on the Discharge Process, please see “What does my discharge process look like?”
We recommend leaving valuables and other items with personal value at home to avoid loss or damage. Upon admission, our nursing staff will complete an inventory of your personal items brought with you to the unit to properly account for your possessions upon admission and discharge. If you must bring valuable belongings or money, ask your nurse to have a security officer come and place them in the hospital safe for you. St. Elizabeth Healthcare is not responsible for any lost or misplaced items, or breakage of residents’ personal items, including, but not limited to dentures, eye glasses and prosthesis.
If you or your physician has scheduled medical or other appointments during your stay unrelated to your primary reason for admission, please inform our team, and we will assist you in rescheduling these appointments to occur after you discharge. If you feel the appointment is necessary to keep, we will assist you in making transportation arrangements.
If you or your physician has scheduled medical or other appointments during your stay unrelated to your primary reason for admission, please inform our team, and we will assist you in rescheduling these appointments to occur after you discharge. If you feel the appointment is necessary to keep, we will assist you in making transportation arrangements. Please note, only specific medical needs qualify for insurance to cover transportation costs. Wheelchair services are not covered under insurance, and would be a private, out of pocket cost. We are happy to assist with scheduling such services through third party providers.
Our team develops a shower schedule. You may also request your showers to be completed on a different date and time. Depending on your personalized Care Plan, Occupational Therapy may complete your shower as part of your rehabilitation session.
Bed linens and towels are provided and laundered by St. Elizabeth at no cost. Your room and public areas are also cleaned daily.
We ask that personal laundry such as clothes brought from home, be done by your family throughout your stay.
Television:
Television service is provided to the residents at no cost. If you have any problems with your television set contact your nurse or the patient representative. An updated channel listing can be found in your room, and additional copies received from the Activity Department. All televisions are equipped with close captioning.
Internet Access:
We offer free wireless internet access throughout St. Elizabeth system allowing patients, families, physicians and staff to connect to the internet anytime during your stay. Computers are not provided by the hospital, but patients or guests who bring their own laptop computer or handheld device can connect to the internet free of charge.
Phone:
When you arrive in your room, the telephone will be ready to use if you wish. You may also elect not to have a phone. If you do not want telephone service, call the switchboard (dial “0”) and the operator will disconnect your line. You may receive calls from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. This ensures a quiet time in the evening so residents may rest. You may place outgoing calls at any time.
All long distance calls are routed to the switchboard and must be made collect, billed to your home phone number or paid for with a credit card or phone card. Please do not accept long distance charges on your room phone.
Please visit our website for information on telephone, television and wireless intranet information. For the hearing impaired, we are part of the TTY system. If you require this service, let your nurse know so the patient representative can be contacted. You may also speak to a member of our team if you need help.
- Admitted patients with an anticipated length of stay greater than 7 days
- Those who are terminally ill.
- Other special circumstances (i.e. the withdrawn patient refusing treatment, etc.)
Visitors are asked to speak with the Nursing/Activity departments on each of the Skilled Units for additional requirements regarding pet visitation prior to bringing the dog onto the unit.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare went tobacco-free on December 31, 2011. After this time, no tobacco use of any kind is permitted on hospital owned or leased property.
As a healthcare organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees and patients. We believe that we have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue, and establishing our entire campus as tobacco-free firmly supports that belief.
The U.S. Surgeon General has confirmed that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is a serious health hazard and that there is no risk-free level of exposure. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks for patients, employees and visitors.
The tobacco-free initiative is a concrete way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy living.
We offer a full range of activities and activity programs to help meet the needs of a wide range of residents. A monthly activity calendar is posted in your room, with additional copies found at the nurses’ station. We also have an extensive list of independent activity supplies available to loan you through the Activity Department. Your family is welcome to join you in group activities, as well as visit with you throughout the unit. Members of our staff are available to assist you in getting to/from the Activity Room.
As part of your rehabilitation journey, we also encourage residents to eat meals in the Activity Room. Joining us for meals will help to increase your endurance, encourage you to be up and dressed throughout the day, as well as allow opportunities for socialization with other residents.
Members of our Pastoral Care Team called Chaplains, are available to meet your spiritual and emotional needs while staying with us. Chaplains are available within the hospital system to respond to your request for a visit, pastoral conversation and sacramental ministry. Please ask your nurse or call a chaplain at extension 2-3549. External priests, Clergy members and ministers are also welcome to visit you during your stay.
You will be given a menu based on the diet the physician ordered for you. With the menu you will be able to select your meals each day. A staff member will be available each day to assist you and a dietitian is on staff to manage special dietary needs.
Families are welcome to bring in snacks and drinks from home, as long as they are stored in sealed containers. Items should be compliant with your diet ordered by the physician. Refrigerated food must be dated and labeled with your name and room number. These items may be given to the nursing staff for storage in our galley refrigerator. All refrigerated items will be disposed of after 24 hours per state regulations.
Guest meals may be ordered. Ask a member of the nursing team to assist with ordering. Special event meals are also available upon request for a pre-paid fee.
Discharge planning begins the day you are admitted to the hospital and will continue throughout your stay. Our Interdisciplinary team is here to assist you and your family with your discharge planning needs to ensure a smooth transition back home.
Our team meets weekly in you Care Conference to monitor your progress, review medical records, communicate with your insurance company as required, and collaborates with physicians and the medical/therapy team to assist with arranging post hospital discharge needs.
If you are unable to return home after your stay, our team will meet with you and your family to discuss all options available to you, and assist with making that transition as seamless as possible.
St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas
(859) 572-3126
St. Elizabeth Florence
(859) 212-5291
St Elizabeth Grant
(859) 824-8151
Patient representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.During other hours, dial “0” from any hospital phone to reach the nursing supervisor via the hospital operator. It you feel that your needs are still not met, you have the right to contact any external organization. A list of contact information for state and federal groups can be found in your Skilled Nursing Care Booklet.
Any changes in insurance or financial status must be brought to the attention of the billing department as soon as you are aware (i.e. Medicare termination, changes in Managed Care companies, etc.) This is critical to allow us to help you coordinate your benefits to prevent any loss of coverage during your stay. Please note-we are billing your insurance company based upon the information we have upon admission. In the event your insurance company denies payment, the cost of the services provided will become your responsibility.
Our goal is to facilitate a smooth and timely transition from the hospital to home, or if necessary, to another health care facility while simultaneously obtaining necessary approvals from the patient pay or source. Together, we will work with you, your family and other interdisciplinary team members to provide timely, personalized discharge planning for every patient.If you are with us under the Medicare program, please remember that while you may have 100 Medicare days available, Medicare will only pay for your stay while you are receiving skilled services (i.e. physical, occupational and speech therapy, IV medications, wound care, and other services Medicare classifies as skilled services). The Medicare program also requires that you are continuing to make progress during your stay and have NOT reached your maximum or prior level of functioning. Our Social Worker/Discharge Planner will discuss any changes in your plan of care or discharge plan if you are no longer meeting skilled criteria as defined by Medicare. Many Managed Care companies operate under similar guidelines to Medicare.
Please see our Admissions Coordinators or Social Worker for specific information regarding your insurance benefits.
Please see our Admissions Coordinators or Social Worker for specific information regarding your insurance benefits. Our team will work with you and your loved ones to address your concerns.
The fees for your doctor’s services are separate from your Skilled Nursing Facility bill and are billed separately by the attending physician.
Contact Us
Call Us to Learn More
If you would like more information about the St. Elizabeth Skilled Nursing Care, please contact us at one of our locations:
St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas
(859) 572-3530
St. Elizabeth Florence
(859) 212-4302
St. Elizabeth Grant
(859) 824-8240
