Acute Care Hospitals & Outpatient Therapy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between acute rehab and acute care? ›

An acute condition is one that doesn't require extended hospitalization. Therefore, acute care therapy, which is specifically designed to treat acute conditions, is typically shorter than inpatient rehabilitation.

Simply put: Acute care therapy focuses on stabilizing acute conditions during a hospital stay, while inpatient therapy provides comprehensive rehabilitation services for patients with more extended recovery needs in a specialized facility.

THIS SETTING MAY BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU:

Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment. Want variability in the caseload, treating clients with a wide range of diagnosis and conditions. Desire to expand your knowledge base through exposure to complex medical cases. Don't mind being on your feet all day.

Simply put, acute care refers to inpatient care while ambulatory refers to outpatient care. An acute setting is a medical facility in which patients remain under constant care.

The term acute care encompasses a range of clinical health-care functions, including emergency medicine, trauma care, pre-hospital emergency care, acute care surgery, critical care, urgent care and short-term inpatient stabilization (Fig. 1).

How long will Medicare cover rehab in a skilled nursing facility? Medicare covers inpatient rehab in a skilled nursing facility – also known as an SNF – for up to 100 days. Rehab in an SNF may be needed after an injury or procedure, like a hip or knee replacement.

Acute care is a level of health care in which a patient is treated for a brief but severe episode of illness, for conditions that are the result of disease or trauma, and during recovery from surgery.

This can include treatment for a severe injury, period of illness, urgent medical condition, or to recover from surgery. In the NHS, it often includes services such as accident and emergency (A&E) departments, inpatient and outpatient medicine and surgery. Our recent work and content on this topic is listed below.

Outpatient care, also called ambulatory or day patient care, does not require hospitalization. An outpatient visits a hospital, clinic, or similar facility for diagnosis, treatment, or a procedure, and then is free to leave. In some cases, outpatient care may include an overnight hospital stay.

Occupational therapists evaluate and treat patients who have experienced a sudden decline in their medical, functional, and/or cognitive status after a traumatic event, worsening of a progressive disease, acute onset of a new physiological or psychiatric condition, or a planned surgical procedure.

Why do I want to work in acute care? ›

Nursing care can change patients' lives for the better. Acute care nurses can make all the difference in treating, managing and supporting recovery from acute or chronic illnesses. Through an advanced education and dedication, AGACNPs are able to provide quality care to people when they need it most.

Acute care physical therapists, and physical therapist assistants, will work with you, your patient, and the entire healthcare team to maximize their function, improve their strength and endurance, and prevent many complications of prolonged bedrest and immobility.

Acute care hospitals focus on short-term medical treatment, while general hospitals offer a broader range of services, including long-term care. This differentiation is crucial for understanding healthcare facilities' roles in patient treatment and recovery.

Non-acute (or maintenance) care is care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is support for a patient with impairment, activity limitation or participation restriction due to a health condition. Patients with a care type of maintenance care often require care over an indefinite period.

Acute levels of care include, but are not limited to: (1) treatment of acute levels of severe mental disorder or (2) clinical restraint and seclusion. Such inmate-patients are those, who if in the community, would require the services of a licensed health facility providing 24-hour acute mental health care.

Patients with complex or multiple diagnoses, those who need heavy nursing care, intensive therapy, or for whom a longer length of stay is projected, are admitted to acute rehab. Patients who are expected to be discharged to the home after a short length of stay who have singular needs would be appropriate for the TCU.

Staffing: Long-term acute care hospitals typically employ in-house doctors, and patients will see a doctor at least once a day. Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and skilled nursing facilities also have physicians on staff, but therapists and nurses take on more of the daily care management.

Post-acute care services provide an extra level of assistance for people discharged from acute hospitals. If they experience a complication, it's easier to get them the help they need before the problem worsens. They can also avoid hospital readmission, which helps them heal faster.

To put it in layman's terms, acute care is inpatient care, in contrast to ambulatory care, or outpatient care. In an acute care setting, you remain under constant, round-the-clock care.