Over the past decade, the post-acute care landscape has changed dramatically. A space once thought of as on the fringe, is now considered by many to be the ideal method of care compared to traditional care. Why? You might ask. There are several factors that have contributed to this shifting mindset. We want to cover three of them.
1: Faster Recovery, Better Results
Research suggests that patients who receive Post-acute care following a major health episode see greater and faster clinical improvements compared to patients discharged to their homes without the necessary follow-up from medical professionals.
Here’s a fun fact – patients who are discharged to a Post-acute care setting are far less likely to be readmitted to the hospital. Additionally, the patients are closely monitored for complications, which ultimately improves the chances of catching new problems early on. This benefits family members as well. It is always stressful having a loved one in recovery mode, this system ensures piece of mind for relatives who have your best interest at heart.
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Higher Comfort Level
Let’s face it, no one likes being in a hospital or at a care facility longer than necessary, but if you do have to stay it should at least be comfortable! The good news is Post-acute care is favorable over a long acute care stay. Post-acute settings are more like home and offer more activities and services for long-term stays. Post-acute benefits the patient because experienced professionals are readily available to answer questions and assist with tasks that might be challenging at first or take longer in traditional settings due to the high influx of patients.
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The System is working for You
In the past several years, payers such as Medicare and health insurance companies have moved more risk to hospitals. Many insurance companies are no longer paying for readmissions within a certain time frame following a patient discharge. What does this mean for you? If a patient is discharged and ends up back in the hospital within a short time frame of a recent discharge for the same or a related issue, the hospital must absorb the cost of the second inpatient stay. This holds hospitals’ feet to the fire. In fact, the guidelines are designed to improve patient care in hospitals and ensure all issues are addressed properly prior to the patient being discharged
The perks for Post-acute care are boundless. If you’re considering treatment options, consider Post-acute care.