Read the rule before you tour.
Short explanations grounded in Medicare.gov, CMS, and New Jersey DHS or DOH pages. Last reviewed 2026-10-14. None of this is a coverage decision.
Medicare coverage after a hospital stay
How the Medicare skilled nursing facility benefit works, including the 3-day inpatient rule and observation status.
NJ Medicaid and MLTSS for assisted living and nursing homes: official sources
Medicaid long-term care rules are set by the state and change often. For current eligibility, see NJ Medicaid MLTSS or call your county Board of Social Services.
Rehab, a nursing home, or home health
How an inpatient rehab hospital, a nursing-home rehab stay, and Medicare home health differ in New Jersey.
Assisted living and memory care
How New Jersey licenses assisted living, and when memory care is a separate dementia-home license.
How to choose a nursing home using CMS star ratings
What Medicare’s 1-to-5 star ratings measure, and what a tour still has to answer.
Short-term rehab vs. a nursing home in New Jersey
Often the same licensed nursing home: a short Medicare stay and a longer custodial stay differ by payer and goal, not by a second license.
Medicare’s 100 days of rehab
How Original Medicare splits a skilled nursing benefit period: days 1–20, a daily coinsurance after that, and why 100 days is not a promise.
The 3-day rule and observation status
Why an observation stay is outpatient, what the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice is, and which days count toward skilled nursing.
Best short-term rehab in Bergen County: how to compare
How to compare Bergen County nursing homes for a short stay using CMS stars, staffing, and inspections. This is not a ranking.
Passaic County rehab and nursing homes: a family guide
How to look up licensed nursing homes and short-term rehab in Wayne, Clifton, Paterson, and the rest of Passaic County.
15 questions to ask before your parent is discharged
A free printable checklist for a New Jersey hospital discharge: status, the 3-day rule, the QIO appeal, medications, and the first night home.
Hospital discharging Mom too soon? How to appeal in New Jersey
What An Important Message from Medicare is, when to call the Quality Improvement Organization, and how a New Jersey fast appeal starts.
NJ Medicaid long-term care (MLTSS): official sources
Medicaid long-term care rules are set by the state and change often. For current eligibility, see NJ Medicaid MLTSS or call your county Board of Social Services.
Inpatient rehab vs. skilled nursing
How a comprehensive rehabilitation hospital differs from a skilled nursing stay, including the therapy-intensity standard and the New Jersey license count in this directory.
How to tour a rehab or nursing home: a New Jersey checklist
What to look for on a visit, which records to ask for, and the questions Medicare’s nursing-home guide still expects you to ask.
Independent Living vs Assisted Living in NJ: How to Choose
New Jersey does not license independent living, so this directory lists only communities a public record can verify. How that differs from assisted living, and where the state describes continuing care campuses.
Respite Care in NJ: Short Breaks for Family Caregivers
Short breaks for family caregivers in New Jersey: what the Statewide Respite Care Program page says, and why this directory has no respite roster.