Skilled nursing care is the highest level of care offered outside a hospital. It's for people who need daily medical attention: wound care, IV therapy, injections, catheter management, tube feeding, or recovery support after a stroke, surgery, or a hospital stay. Facilities in this category employ licensed nurses around the clock (RNs and LPNs), along with certified nursing assistants for hands-on daily care. This is different from assisted living or memory care, which handle help with bathing, dressing, and medication reminders but not ongoing medical treatment. Gastonia has 22 skilled nursing providers, ranging from standalone nursing homes to rehab-focused units attached to hospitals.
What to look for
Start with the state inspection survey and staffing ratios; both are public record and tell you more than a glossy brochure. Ask how many hours of direct nursing care each resident gets per day, whether a physician or nurse practitioner is on-site regularly, and how the facility handles emergencies overnight. Tour the building at a non-visiting-hour time and watch how staff interact with residents. Check whether the facility accepts Medicare (for short-term rehab stays) and Medicaid (for long-term custodial care), since payment source limits which places are realistic options.
How we score facilities
Our ranking weighs inspection history, staffing levels, verified reviews, and services offered, using the same process across every category. See how the scoring works on our methodology page. For the full ranked list of Gastonia's 22 skilled nursing facilities with scores and comparisons, go to our best skilled nursing care in Gastonia guide.