Skilled nursing care is not just for individuals going through the process of aging. Our residents and patients at Pacific Care Center come to us for a variety of reasons. In a skilled nursing care facility like ours, doctors and hospitals refer patients for (1) specialized nursing care, (2) transitional nursing care, or (3) rehabilitation.
Heart attacks, alzheimer’s disease, and strokes are major reasons doctors refer patients to skilled nursing care for specialized care. Recovery from a debilitating stroke or heart attack can leave an individual with multiple system issues as well as a need for speech, movement, and other therapies. Our skilled nursing facility works with in-house therapists to provide residents a quality of care that is difficult to receive outside of a skilled nursing facility. This higher quality of care is one of the reasons physicians and hospitals often refer patients in need of specialized care to a skilled nursing facility such as ours.
Patients are also referred for transitional care. The transition is usually from a critical hospital stay to a long-term care facility or to home rehabilitation. Skilled nursing care facilities provide a higher quality of life than is often available in hospitals, so physicians will refer a patient after he/she no longer requires the 24-hour care necessary for critical injuries or illnesses. After a period of time in a skilled nursing facility, patients will either enter long-term care or go home and continue their journey toward good health from there.
Hospitalization or a major health event are not required for a doctor’s referral to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation may be needed for old injuries that are not healing well or for other quality of life decisions. Since skilled nursing facilities have both the staff and facilities required to provide a dedicated focus on an individual’s health and recovery from injuries, physicians may refer patients for a variety of reasons that require only a short period of recovery.
Seniors also may experience a variety of health concerns that need management whether they still live at home or live in a long-term care facility. The potential for illness and injury while living independently increases as an individual ages.
For whatever reason a doctor may refer you or a loved one to Pacific Care Center, the desired result is the same – to provide a place where you or your loved one can receive the appropriate care to regain strength and mobility to carry out activities of daily living at the highest level possible. Call us at 636-271-4222 to discuss your questions about skilled nursing care and why you or your loved one may need it.