Question

What is a long-term care hospital (LTCH)? What role does it play in health care delivery in the United States?

Answer 1

Long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) are certified as acute‑care hospitals, but LTCHs focus on patients who, on average, stay more than 25 days. LTCHs specialize in treating patients who may have more than one serious condition, but who may improve with time and care, and return home. LTCHs generally give services like respiratory therapy, head trauma treatment, and pain management. it is a special type of long-stay hospitals - provide post-acute care for patients with complex health medical needs, and may have multiple chronic problems requiring long-term hospitalization. Must meet medicare guidelines, serve patients who have complex medical needs and may suffer from multiple chronic problems requiring long-term hospitalization. They are admitted directly from short stay hospital intensive care nits with respiratory/ventilator dependent or other complex medical condition.

They specialize in caring for patients who are ventilator-dependent, are on inpatient dialysis, or have multi-organ or multi-system failure, postsurgical or organ transplant complications, complex wounds that need care, or traumatic or acquired brain injury. Long-term acute care hospitals (LTCHs) represent a potentially important care setting for critically ill and medically complex patients. LTCH care may improve patient outcomes by providing specialized care programs for medically complex and chronically critically ill patients over an extended inpatient period. it Serve guidelines, having this type of facility available.