Skilled Nursing
The HSC Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility
What is the Skilled Nursing Facility?
The HSC Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a long-term care facility supported with comprehensive medical and nursing care for medically complex children, adolescents and young adults. Our team of specialists continuously creates a friendly, caring and supportive environment where all patients can receive the best possible care.
SNF has received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recognizing its quality measures, staffing and health inspections as much above average.
Where is the Skilled Nursing Facility located?
The Skilled Nursing Facility is located within the HSC Pediatric Center, a children's specialty hospital that serves children from infancy through age 21. The Pediatric Center has a rich legacy of caring for children with complex medical and rehabilitative conditions for over 135 years and is the only provider in Washington, DC, that specializes in the inpatient post-acute care needs for these special types of children.
How will my child be cared for?
We believe in turning disabilities into special abilities, and our warm and welcoming atmosphere combines specialized therapeutic, medical and nursing care with a diverse array of activities designed to maintain each child’s abilities and encourage their maximum potential. We provide care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We are a leader in providing highly effective care for children with complex medical conditions and disabilities. Family is central to everything we do, and our approach involves helping families understand and live with the challenges ahead. For some of our patients, this may mean adapting to a lifelong illness, diagnosis, or challenge, while for others it means learning how to complete simple tasks in order to increase independence.
Each child is involved in the everyday activities of playing, learning and growing while receiving expert medical care that only a facility specializing in the care of medically fragile and complex children can provide. We offer a team approach that includes pediatricians, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical, occupational & speech therapists, psychologists, social workers and other healthcare specialists to meet individual care needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Resident Stay at The HSC Pediatric Center Skilled Nursing Facility
-
The HSC Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a nursing facility that provides services to children from birth through age 21. A stay can be recommended for many reasons, including:
- Your child is technology dependent and you require additional training and support
- Your child needs continuous care and their complex medical needs can only be met in a SNF setting with nursing and medical support.
The goals of the SNF are to provide the necessary care and services as long as your child needs them in a home like environment, to accommodate your child’s needs and help your child transition safely into your care at home, and to provide a home for your child as long as they require the level of care and services provided by the SNF.
-
On the day of the admission and upon your child’s arrival at HSC you will be greeted by the SNF nursing staff and provided with an orientation of the facility, room assignments, and be introduced to your child’s roommate.
You will also be asked prior to or on the day of admission to meet with a staff member from Collaborative Services to review the SNF’s Admission Agreement. The Admission Agreement includes the resident rights and responsibilities as determined by Federal and District of Columbia regulations.
The charge nurse with the help of the certified nursing assistant will conduct a complete assessment of your child, and will ask you questions as necessary to develop the initial basic care plan. The remainder of our clinical specialists will conduct their assessments within 72 hours of admission.
A comprehensive team assessment of your child will be completed within 14 days of admission. Within 7 days after the comprehensive assessment is completed, the clinical team will hold a care planning meeting with you and your child to develop a person-centered care plan.
You are welcome to request a care planning meeting at any time during your child’s stay by asking the SNF’s Social Worker or Director of Nursing.
-
We recommend you bring a seven day supply of clothing for your child, labeled with permanent marker, along with your child’s assistive equipment or devices such as walkers, wheelchairs, communication device, splints, orthotics, glasses, hearing aids, and crutches.
We recommend you bring items that will make your child’s stay more comfortable, such as a favorite toy. If you choose to bring a small piece of furniture, it must not interfere with the safety of your child or their roommate.
An inventory sheet will be started upon admission and must be updated by the care team every time an item is added to or removed from the room.
-
We have numerous amenities to make your child’s stay with us more comfortable.
Your child’s semi-private room will be equipped with a television, phone, bathroom, shower, and call bell. We have wireless internet available, along with optional laundry service.
Recommended visiting hours are from 9AM to 7 PM but you and others of your choosing have access to your child 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
We also have communal amenities available for use, including:
- Dining Room/Play Room in the unit
- Hospital Cafeteria
- Outdoor Playground
- Parent lounge with a television, comfortable sofa, a table and chairs, microwave and a refrigerator.
-
Our physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses, and respiratory therapists are experienced and trained in caring for children with a wide range of medical needs. Along with our care team, we provide on-site specialty consultations in cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology and nutrition, ophthalmology, neurology, infectious disease and physical medicine by specialists from Children’s National Hospital.
If your child needs to go to appointments with referring or specialty providers, not at HSC, HSC will provide transportation, as well as staff to accompany your child. as needed. Parents/guardians are encouraged to accompany their child to doctor’s appointments.
Other clinical services offered on-site include:
- Basic Dental Exam
- Laboratory Services
- Pharmacy
- X-Rays.
Any additional tests and procedures that require off-site care will be scheduled by the team/case manager and transportation will be provided.
For more detailed information about specific services, please contact our admissions team at 202-635-6115.
-
We have other services to enhance your child’s quality of care and quality of life and those include the following:
- Rehabilitation therapy including occupational, physical and speech
- Psychology services
- Pool therapy
- Pet therapy
- Child life specialist services
- Recreational therapy
- Social Worker services
- Educational Services
- Spiritual Services
- Volunteer programs and activities.
How to Get Medical Services and Therapy
Learn how you can get Medical Services and Therapy at the HSC Pediatric Center.
Get Services