Brickyard News
What to Expect After Contacting Brickyard Healthcare
We understand that contacting a skilled nursing facility often comes during a challenging time when you’re navigating important healthcare decisions for yourself or a loved one. Whether you’re ready to start the admission process or you’ve just started your care center search, our team aims to provide compassionate care and clarity when you need it most.
This page addresses the most common immediate questions families have after reaching out, helping you know what to expect when we connect and how to prepare for the conversation ahead.
What Happens After You Reach Out to Us
When you submit an inquiry through our website, call one of our facilities, or are referred by a hospital case manager, your information goes directly to an Admissions Director at the Brickyard Healthcare location best suited to serve your family’s needs.
Within 24–48 hours, someone from our team will reach out with a personal phone call. They’ll introduce themselves, learn more about your situation and ask about your care needs, current location (home, hospital, or another facility), insurance coverage, and timeline for needing services. Then, based on this phone call, our admissions team, along with our care providers, will determine the best next steps.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know the answers to some of these questions yet, that’s completely okay. We’ll work through it together.
For families facing urgent hospital discharges, we can expedite requests when needed, often coordinating admission within 24–72 hours.
If you don’t hear from us within 48 hours, please don’t hesitate to call the facility directly. We never want communication delays to compound your stress during an already difficult time.
Understanding Your Immediate Questions and Concerns
Brickyard is committed to a smooth transition while providing compassionate care. From our years of service, here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive during the first phone call.
“How do I even know if skilled nursing is what I or my loved one needs?”
This is one of the most common concerns families share with us, and it’s a valid one.
People who benefit from skilled nursing care typically need help with essential daily activities—getting out of bed safely, bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, or eating. Beyond physical assistance, they often require medical care that goes beyond what family members can safely provide at home, such as wound care, medication management, IV therapy, or monitoring complex health conditions.
Skilled nursing services can be a short-term arrangement while you or your loved one is going through rehabilitation, or a long-term commitment.
“Can we see the facility before making any decisions?”
We strongly encourage touring our care centers, and we try to make it as easy as possible to do so.
We’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which means we can accommodate your schedule, whether that’s during typical business hours, in the evening after work, or on weekends. However, we understand that coordinating family schedules can be challenging, and we want to make it as stress-free as possible for everyone who needs to be part of this decision to visit together.
We also recognize that sometimes circumstances don’t allow for an in-person tour before admission. If that’s the case, we can arrange a virtual walk-through or provide detailed information, photos, and direct conversations with our care team to help you feel as confident as possible in your decision, even from a distance.
“What insurance does Brickyard accept, and how much will this cost?”
We know that alongside the emotional weight of this decision, there’s significant financial concern. Healthcare costs can feel overwhelming and confusing, and the last thing you need right now is surprise bills or unclear financial obligations.
Brickyard Healthcare accepts:
- Medicare Part A (when there’s a qualifying hospital stay)
- Medicaid and Medicaid Pending applications
- Commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage plans
- Managed Medicaid programs
- Workers’ compensation
- Private pay
During your first conversation with our team, we’ll discuss your insurance coverage. We understand that navigating Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance can feel daunting.
After our initial conversation, our Business Office Manager will contact your insurance provider directly to verify exactly what’s covered, what authorization is needed, and what your out-of-pocket costs will be. Then, they’ll meet with you personally to walk through the financial details in a way that makes sense: explaining your coverage, what you’ll be responsible for, and answering any questions you have about payment.
We believe in complete financial transparency before admission. You’ll know what you’re responsible for paying—no surprises, no hidden fees, no fine print that catches you off guard weeks later.
“How will I or my loved one stay connected with family?”
Staying connected with loved ones is an important part of healing and adjustment. We help our residents connect their cell phones to Wi-Fi so that they can call, text, or video chat with family members.
We also have phones available at most nurses’ stations that residents can use to call their loved ones if needed.
Understanding What Happens Next Based on Your Timeline
Every family’s situation is different, and the pace at which things move depends entirely on your circumstances.
If You’re Facing an Urgent Hospital Discharge
You might have just received word that your loved one is being discharged in the next day or two, and you’re scrambling to figure out where they can go and how to make it happen.
Please know that we’re experienced in working with hospital case managers to coordinate admissions on tight timelines. We can often arrange admission within 24–72 hours when there’s a medical need for immediate placement.
Your hospital case manager will help initiate the process by sharing your loved one’s medical records with us for clinical review. While that’s happening, we’ll verify insurance coverage and work within the hospital’s discharge timeline. Throughout this rapid process, we’ll keep you informed about what’s happening and what still needs to be completed.
And in urgent situations, we encourage family members to visit our facility if at all possible before admission—even if it’s a brief visit. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible with the decision, even when time is limited.
If You’re Planning Ahead for Surgery or a Gradual Transition
If you have a few weeks rather than a few days, you’re in a position to take a more measured approach, and we encourage you to do so.
For planned admissions—whether it’s for post-surgical rehabilitation or a carefully considered transition from home—the timeline from first contact to move-in typically spans 3–7 days. This gives you time to:
- Tour our facility and really get to know the environment
- Ask all your questions without feeling rushed
- Complete paperwork at a reasonable pace
- Emotionally and logistically prepare for the transition
Several team members within our care centers can assist with planning and answer questions about post-surgical recovery specifically. We always encourage touring before surgery so you know what to expect, understand costs, and feel genuinely comfortable with where recovery will take place.
Many families find it helpful to start these conversations 2–4 weeks before a planned surgery. This timeframe allows for thoughtful decision-making without the pressure of an imminent deadline.
If You’re Still in the Exploration Phase
Perhaps you reached out because you sense that change is coming, even if it’s not immediate.
If that’s where you are, there’s absolutely no timeline pressure from us. Many families research options weeks or even months before care is actually needed. We respect that you might need time to have difficult conversations with family members, to come to terms with the transition emotionally, or simply to gather information before making any decisions.
Take the time you need. When you’re ready to talk more, schedule a tour, or move forward. We’ll be here.
What to Have Ready for Your First Call with Brickyard
When our Admissions Director calls, having certain information available will help us answer your questions more completely and accurately. But please don’t feel like you need to have everything perfectly organized before we talk, as we will help the best way we can with the information you have available.
About your or your loved one’s current care needs:
- What medical conditions or diagnoses are you/they managing?
- What medications are you/they taking?
- Have you/they been hospitalized recently, or are they currently in the hospital?
- What can you/they do independently, and where do they need assistance? (bathing, dressing, walking, eating, using the bathroom)
- Are there any memory or cognitive concerns?
- Are there behavioral considerations we should know about?
Insurance and financial information:
- What insurance do you/they have? (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance)
- Policy numbers if you have them handy
- Prescription drug coverage information
- If you’re hoping to use Medicare, has there been a recent 3-day qualifying hospital stay?
Healthcare contacts and relationships:
- Who is your/their primary care doctor?
- Is there a hospital case manager you’re working with?
- Are you/they currently at another healthcare facility?
Your practical considerations:
- When do you need care to begin? (immediately, within a week, planning ahead)
- Which Brickyard Healthcare location would work best for your family?
- Does your loved one have a preference about a private room versus a semi-private room?
Again, if you don’t have all these answers, don’t let that stop you from calling us. We’ll figure it out together.
What to Bring on Admission Day
Having these items ready will help make the first day smoother and more comfortable.
Essential documents:
Insurance documents and prescription drug cards, including cards and documents for private insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
Guardianship papers and advance directive documents (such as living will, power of attorney, durable power of attorney for healthcare) if you have them
Clothing and personal items:
- Several changes of comfortable clothing, including underclothing and sleeping garments (we recommend at least 5–7 complete outfits)
- Please label all clothing items with your loved one’s first and last name—this helps ensure nothing gets misplaced in the laundry.
- Hard-soled slippers for safety and well-fitting tennis shoes for therapy sessions in our gym.
- Slip-on shoes or flimsy slippers can increase fall risk, so sturdy footwear is important.
- Personal hygiene items
- Personal items to make them feel at home (photos, small mementos, etc.)
Making the Paperwork Process Easier
We know that paperwork can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already managing so much. That’s why we’ve made significant improvements to streamline our admission process.
Rather than hitting you with a mountain of forms all at once, we’ve reorganized everything into manageable sections that different team members will handle with you.
- Admissions staff will complete the initial intake paperwork.
- Our nursing team will gather clinical and medical information.
- Social services will focus on the more personal aspects—learning about your or your loved one’s interests, activity preferences, and what will help them feel most at home
This approach makes the process less daunting and ensures you’re working with the right team member for each type of information, which should keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
If You Have More Specific Questions About Our Services
If you have specific questions about our services, the care we provide, or care center availability, feel free to call your desired care center location directly. Our directors can provide you with information on medical care, rehabilitation services, emotional support, family communication, and more.
Thanks for Contacting Brickyard Healthcare
Whatever stage you’re at in this journey, Brickyard Healthcare is here to walk alongside you with understanding, respect, and genuine care for both you and your loved one.
Helpful Links:
See Brickyard Care Center Locations
