Frequently Asked Questions

Kindred Hospitals is a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH), also called a specialty hospital. We provide the same type of comprehensive care a patient receives in a traditional hospital until they are well enough to return home or move to a lower level of care.

After a serious illness, injury, surgery, or hospital stay, some patients need more time to recover in a hospital setting with daily physician-led care. Our patients come to us when they are stable enough to leave the ICU, but still require specialized care for medically complex conditions, respiratory needs, or longer recovery stays.

Our physician-led care teams provide critically ill patients with the specialized care they need, for the time they need it – empowering them to take the next step in their recovery journey.

We believe early rehabilitation is essential for recovering strength and function. Patients may receive rehabilitation from physical and occupational therapists as well as speech and language pathologists. As part of our Move Early program, our rehabilitation specialists begin working with patients, even those on mechanical ventilation, as soon as is safe. Duration and frequency of daily therapy sessions will depend upon your tolerance level. There is no minimum level of therapy required to participate.

We want the transition to be as smooth as possible for you and your family. That’s why one of our clinical liaisons will meet with your care coordinator to review your medical history and current health condition. Once it’s determined that a Kindred Hospital is right for you, an admission date and time will be selected by all parties involved.  

The goal of a traditional hospital is to diagnose and stabilize your condition, and start your recovery as quickly as possible after pressing health issues – emergencies brought on by illness or an injury – for usually a few days or a week. However, if you have complex conditions, you may need the specialized care provided by a long-term acute care hospital in order to recover as fully as possible. 

Kindred Hospital may have been suggested because your recovery requires: 

• More recovery time in a hospital setting
• Specialized acute care
• Daily monitoring by physicians
• Team-based care

A typical stay in a traditional hospital is four to five days. Kindred Hospitals have a unique certification that allows patients to continue receiving intensive care for an extended period of time. Lengths of stay may vary depending on your care plan needs, but the average stay is 25 days.

Kindred Hospitals provide hospital-level care led by physicians, with access to respiratory therapy, dialysis, pharmacy, imaging, and other acute care services. Skilled nursing facilities are primarily led by nurses and are designed for patients with lower-acuity recovery and rehabilitation needs.

Unlike a skilled nursing facility, Kindred Hospitals provide:

• Daily physician visits and acute care nurse-to-patient ratios
• 24/7 respiratory therapy and specialized respiratory care
• Hospital-level services, including dialysis and on-site pharmacy
• Care for critically ill patients and complex medical conditions
• Advanced clinical programs, including early mobility and complex wound care

Kindred Hospitals provide hospital-level care led by physicians for medically complex patients who still need acute care services while recovering. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities are designed for patients who are medically stable enough to participate in several hours of therapy each day.

Unlike an inpatient rehabilitation facility, Kindred Hospitals provide:

• Daily physician visits and acute care nurse-to-patient ratios
• 24/7 respiratory therapy and hospital-level clinical support
• Care for critically ill patients and complex medical conditions
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy while patients are still receiving acute care
• No minimum therapy requirements, with care plans tailored to each patient’s condition and recovery goals

Kindred Hospital is a valuable care setting if you: 

• Are dependent upon a ventilator or other  technology for regular breathing
• Have medically complex conditions such as pulmonary disease, neurological deficits, cardiac disease, renal (kidney) failure requiring dialysis, complex wounds, infectious diseases or complications following surgery
• Have simultaneous chronic conditions or multisystem organ failure with significant loss of independence
• Need continued acute care after a hospital stay

Part of the admission process includes verification of insurance. We encourage you and your family to be as familiar with coverage and benefits as possible; however, if there are any questions, we can refer you to someone in our admissions office who may be able to assist further. We accept most forms of insurance. 

We encourage all physicians to follow their patients while at our hospital. If your current physician does not have attending privileges, we can recommend a Kindred physician for you and, with your and the physician’s permission, provide your previous physician with updates on your progress. Rest assured that you’re in good hands. We offer 24-hour physician or physician extender coverage, and specialists in internal medicine, critical care, and pulmonology are available as needed. 

When you are ready to leave our hospital, we will help you determine the best path for your recovery. Many of our patients are able to discharge to home. Otherwise, options for continued care include: 

• Acute inpatient rehabilitation settings
• Skilled nursing facilities or subacute units
• Assisted living facilities
• Home health
• Outpatient services