Subacute Care
Injuries, accidents, illnesses, and medical conditions are treated at hospitals. However, once your stay is complete, you may not be ready to care for yourself at home. While many people transition to subacute care after a hospital stay, others may be admitted directly from home when they require 24/7 skilled nursing care and rehabilitation.
This is a transition stage for those still requiring 24/7 nursing care and restorative therapies before going home. The treatments often improve recovery and maintain independence, so you can care for yourself as much as possible.
Subacute care includes various treatment options. These include wound care, IV therapy, oxygen therapy, and various rehabilitation therapies. Trained staff tailor the care plan as needed to meet patients’ needs and achieve the best results. For more information about what such short-term care offers, keep reading.
What is Subacute Care?
Conditions, illnesses, or injuries that threaten your life or limbs are first treated at hospitals or other acute care facilities. However, your stay at these institutions is usually short-term. Unfortunately, you aren’t always able to go home at this stage.
That’s where subacute care comes in. These specialized facilities and their staff provide care for those still in a fragile state but don’t require a hospital setting. The care is normally well-organized, comprehensive and customized to each patient’s needs, so a range of treatments and therapies is available.
Nursing staff, therapists, and other staff coordinate to manage patient care 24/7 and adjust treatment plans as needed. Possible treatments include IV therapy, wound care, pain management, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Care may last from 2 to 4 or more weeks, depending on the condition and care required.
What conditions require this care?
Subacute care offers comprehensive treatment plans to help you recover from a wide range of medical issues. For instance, it’s extremely beneficial for those recovering from traumatic injuries, infections, or sepsis.
Cardiac and vascular conditions may also require specialized care. These conditions may include heart attack, heart failure, myocarditis, and peripheral vascular disease.
Fractures, especially hip fractures, and neurological conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, vision loss, or epilepsy, are also treated with subacute care. Treatment and therapy may even improve cancer complications or the side effects of chemotherapy.
Individualized care is also offered to those more dependent on nursing staff and other trained professionals. Patients using IVs or ventilators or those in a vegetative state often require post-hospital care. They are consistently monitored to ensure their condition is managed properly to improve recovery.
Speedy recovery
Recovery time after a medical emergency varies due to several factors. These include the condition or injury, the severity of the issue, patient age, and overall health. However, regardless of these factors, subacute care may get you home sooner than you expect.
Your medical team evaluates your condition and creates a treatment plan that suits you. Their goal is to help you return to your previous level of health while losing as little of your independence as possible. They also ensure your recovery is quick without sacrificing safety.
Various treatments and rehab therapies are used to meet these goals. Staff will monitor your condition and adjust it when needed. They also offer physical, mental, and emotional support, so you never feel like you’re on your own.
If your loved one needs our help, please get in touch with us.
