Nursing homes provide skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services to people with illnesses, injuries or functional disabilities. Services can be provided in nursing homes by nurses, nursing aides and assistants, physical, occupational and speech therapists, social workers, and recreational assistants. Specific services can range from day care to hospice care.

As you consider starting a nursing home facility, you need to aware of the complexity of the task. Nursing homes are subject to numerous regulations due to reports of abuse and also require significant financial investment to start. When deciding to start a nursing home facility, here are some factors to consider:

1. Determine how much property would be needed to start a nursing home facility in your area.

2. Find out what the state and federal regulations are for nursing homes in your state.

3. Determine what type of services that will be offered at your nursing home facility.

4. Join professional associations for nursing homes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to start a nursing home facility

Since starting a nursing home facility can be very expensive, you need to understand how much land and what type of buildings you may need to purchase or even build. You should also make sure that you have a solid business plan and a way to find funding to start your nursing home facility.

I recommend: At the Cyber Learning Systems website, you can purchase a step-by-step guide on how to start a nursing home. Palo Alto Software offers software that can assist you in creating a business plan for your nursing care facility.

Find the state and federal regulations for a nursing home facility in your area

Compliance is a very important issue for a nursing homes provider. You need to learn and understand what these regulations are in order to remain compliant and to avoid fines or worse penalties. It is also helpful to understand what might be required in order to start a nursing home facility before you begin.

I recommend: The American Health Care Association has a state-by-state listing of rule and regulations for nursing homes. Subscribe to the Nursing Home Regulations Manual for nursing homes information and federal regulations.

Decide on level of care and type of services to offer at your nursing home facility

Some nursing homes are skilled nursing facilities while others offer more rehabilitative services. You can also focus your services on specific specialties such as cardiovascular disease on developmental disabilities. You have to decide what services your nursing home facility would offer and what type of resources and staff you have available or will have to hire.

I recommend: NursingHomeRank.com offers a list of different types of nursing home facilities that range from day care to more skilled nursing facilities. Once you decide what type of services that you will offer, there are several websites such as hireNursing and MySpace where you can post your positions and look for applicants.

Join professional associations for nursing homes and administrators

By joining both state and national professional associations, you can make contacts with other nursing home professionals and exchange ideas about operating a nursing home facility. You can also get information about new regulations or how to hire staff.

I recommend: By joining the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging as a business member, you can attend conferences and interact with other nursing home facility administrators. You also have access to additional nursing homes information. State Affiliates of AHCA have a listing of various nursing home associations from each state.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You need to budget money for advertising. It is important to get on a nursing homes list on the Internet so potential clients can find you. Being in a nursing homes directory makes it easier to find nursing homes and compare their services.