A long term acute care hospital, or LTACH, differs from a general hospital stay in terms of speciality and scope. Growing in number, these facilities are fast becoming an integral part of our health system. This long term care review can help you discover more about them.
If you or a family member are ever in need of extended long term health care, you may be offered the option of a LTACH. Find out what they are, and how they differ from other long term care options.
A long term acute care hospital may be an independent facility, or it may operate as one unit of a larger hospital. In either case, a LTACH only serves patients who need specialized care that cannot be received at home or a nursing home. By definition, the average patient stay is almost a month.
Long term acute care hospitals treat many different conditions. For example, they take patients whose cases require the use of a ventilator. They cover many kinds of rehabilitation after an accident or surgery. They take on cases that are too medically complicated for nursing homes. Other conditions they treat include severe kidney conditions, heart disease, or severe, chronic pain. While they take on all kinds of long term cases, they do not offer hospice care.
One advantage to receiving treatment at a long term acute care hospital is the wealth of experience the nursing staff and physicians have. By treating only long term cases, they gain valuable expertise that can be used to help you recover as quickly as possible. Additionally, all of the hospital's resources are focused on one specialty, which means they have the right equipment and services to meet the needs of long term acute care patients.
Medicare covers the cost of a stay in these facilities, so long as your stay is at least 25 days. There are several ways to locate a LTACH in your area. You can search the internet, or talk to your physician. If you are already in a hospital receiving care, they may be able to refer you to an affiliated or independent hospital for the remainder of your care.
Receiving long term care can be trying. If your case is too difficult for an in-home caregiver, assisted living facility or nursing home, but too long term for a traditional hospital, then a long term acute care hospital may be the right option for you. With experience and expertise in treating long term patients, a long term acute care hospital is a good choice for care. To explore your possibilities, get a free long term care insurance quote today.
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