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A Long-Term Acute-Care Hospital or LTCH specializes in caring for patients who are affected by complex medical conditions which require an extended period of time for the patient to achieve optimal recovery.
In what ways does an LTCH differ from a traditional hospital?
Traditional hospitals provide a broad range of services from emergency care to surgical interventions. In contrast, an LTCH offers intense nursing care as well as physical, occupational, speech, pharmaceutical, and nutritional services that are designed to optimize a patient's recovery in a stay that is generally longer than a traditional hospital.
Is an LTCH different from a Rehabilitation Hospital?
Definitely. Rehabilitation hospitals offer an appropriate alternative to patients who can tolerate multiple hours of physical, occupation, or speech therapy and have relatively few other medical complications. The LTCH hospital treats the patient that has needs that reach beyond just therapy. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are also offered in our LTCH setting in order to strengthen and stabilize the patient while acute medical needs are being met.
How often will I be seen by doctors and therapists?
In most cases you will be seen on a daily basis by your physician and at least three times weekly by therapists.
Is an LTCH the same as a nursing home?
Absolutely not. An LTCH averages a stay of about 25 days, sometimes more and sometimes less. This is not a permanent placement for patients. When a patient reaches optimal improvement as determined by our multidisciplinary team, he or she will return to an appropriate level of care.
Are there specialized services to benefit the patient at an LTCH?
Yes. Since the patient will be at an LTCH for an extended period of time, we recognize the need for special equipment such as specialty mattresses, wound vacs and coordinated nutrition plans to further the patient's recovery. We also provide more nursing personnel per patient for the specialized care that a patient's complex medical conditions require.