Most people are familiar with the services general hospitals provide, but few know about the options available to people who require additional care beyond what is typically provided at general hospitals.
When people with complex needs that extend beyond a hospital stay of a few days to a week, both long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) or inpatient rehabilitation hospitals (IRFs) provide intense, specialized care to help make significant progress on their journey to recovery and help them get back on their feet again.
Long-term Acute Care Hospitals
Our hospitals are here to help you transition home or to a lower level of care. We can provide a high level of care that addresses each individual’s needs, such as:
Respiratory Therapy People who are dependent on a ventilator to support their breathing will be under the care of a respiratory team that will help them regain the use of their lungs and pulmonary strength so they are able to successfully wean from the machine and breathe on their own.
Speech Therapy After being on a ventilator, people may may need to work with a Speech Therapist to regain the ability to use their voice and swallow – which is an important step toward getting back to a normal diet.
Physical Therapy People often need physical therapy to help them regain their strength, mobility and independence after long periods of bed rest due to illness or injury. The physical therapy team will develop a plan to each individual’s needs to help them achieve their goals.
Occupational Therapy When people have lost some of their fine motor skills, such as hand to eye coordination, using the restroom, grooming or writing, an Occupational Therapist can help get them back on track with therapy techniques and equipment.
Wound Care Nurses specially trained in wound care can assist when a person has a surgical wound that has difficulty healing or if they have developed a pressure ulcer from prolonged bed rest. This care includes advanced treatments such as vacuum pumps in combination with extended courses of antibiotics.
Nutrition A Registered Dietitian helps people transition to a regular diets and monitor their caloric intake to make adjustments as they progress towards a full recovery.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals
An IRF is often an option for people who are medically stable and physically able to begin a comprehensive rehabilitation program, but aren’t yet ready for a lower level of care such as a skilled nursing facility or home.
When people come to an IRF, they may still need daily physician visits, 24-hour nursing care and at least two types of therapy. Care is tailored to help when people are in an advanced stage of recovery, and includes at least three hours of rehabilitative care each day.
Care at an IRF includes:
Interdisciplinary Approach The physicians, therapists and nursing staff at the IRF work with each person’s primary care team to ensure rehabilitation and care are designed with a goal- require the active and ongoing intervention of several therapy disciplines, including physician supervision and nursing care.
Extended Physical and Occupational Therapy In an IRF, people participate in at least three hours of daily therapy five days per week to help them build greater strength, mobility and independence.
Continued Care The care team will look over the person’s abilities prior to coming to the IRF to help set realistic goals to work toward in order to transition to a lower level of care or home. These plans are highly individualized based on each person’s abilities.
Learn more about LTACHs and IRFs by calling us at 1.866.KINDRED. We’re here 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions about healthcare.