Do nursing homes really have beauty salons?
Many do. Nursing homes, assisted living and memory care communities often set aside a small room as a beauty salon or “beauty shop,” with a shampoo sink, a styling chair and a dryer. Others don’t have a dedicated room but have a hairstylist who visits on a regular day and works in a common area or in residents’ rooms.
Not every community has one, and what’s offered varies a lot from building to building. If it matters to you or your parent, ask on the tour.
What services do these salons usually offer?
Most senior living salons are built around hair: washes, sets, blow-drys, cuts and sometimes color. That makes sense, because hair is what most residents ask for first.
Nail care is less consistent. Some salons offer manicures; many don’t offer pedicures at all, and few are set up to deal with thick or hard toenails. Nail care often ends up split between the salon, nursing staff and a visiting podiatrist, with nobody owning it.
Who runs the salon?
Arrangements differ. Common set-ups include:
- An independent hairstylist who rents the space or visits on a set day.
- A company that manages salons in several senior living communities.
- Staff or volunteers who offer simple grooming as part of activities.
Each of these can work well for hair. The question to ask is who, specifically, takes care of residents’ fingernails and toenails, and how often.
Who pays for salon services?
It varies by community. Some include basic grooming in the monthly fee; others charge residents or families per service; some do both. Ask the community for its price list and how charges appear on the bill, so there are no surprises.
Why does nail care get left out?
Nail care for older adults takes time and the right tools. Toenails often become thicker with age, residents may not be able to sit at a salon station, and some need care at the bedside. A busy hairstylist with a full book of appointments may simply not have room for it. Meanwhile, nursing staff have many other tasks, and a podiatrist usually focuses on residents with medical needs.
The result is that routine nail care can slip, even in a community with a lovely salon.
How can nail care fit alongside an existing salon?
Nail care doesn’t have to replace anything. A few ways it can fit:
- On salon day. A nail technician works on the same day as the hairstylist, so residents can have hair and nails done in one outing.
- On its own standing day. A separate, regular nail day that residents can plan around.
- In residents’ rooms. For residents who can’t get to the salon, including bedside care in a nursing home.
Whichever you choose, the same basics apply: licensed technicians, proper disinfection between residents, single-use files and buffers, no shared foot basins, and anything of concern passed to nursing staff or the resident’s podiatrist. Our guide to infection control questions for nail care providers lists what to check.
How we approach it
Skilled Nail Care offers nail care only. We don’t offer hair services, so our nail salon services for nursing homes and senior living are designed to sit alongside your community’s salon or hairstylist rather than replace them. Our technicians can work on your salon day, on a standing day of their own, or in residents’ rooms. You can also read about our manicures for seniors and on-site pedicures.
Frequently asked questions
Do nursing home salons do nails?
Some do and some don’t. Many focus on hair. Ask the community who provides fingernail and toenail care, and how often.
Can a resident use an outside nail care provider?
That depends on the community’s policy. Many communities work with approved outside providers; ask the administrator.
Is the salon included in the monthly fee?
It varies by community. Ask for the price list and how salon charges are billed.
This article is general information, not medical or legal advice. What a community offers, and how it is paid for, varies by community. Skilled Nail Care provides nail care only, not hair services.