Hospital level
of care
Defining hospital level of care
At Encompass Health, our rehabilitation hospitals provide a hospital level of care to patients recovering from a stroke and other debilitating injury or illness—but what does that really mean, and what does that mean for patients?
Have you have ever thought your higher-acuity patient is not appropriate for inpatient rehabilitation? Encompass Health rehabilitation hospitals define rehabilitation in a way that meets these patients where they are. Through skilled clinicians and specialized programs, our hospitals are equipped to manage patients with one or more of the following characteristics:
- Very limited mobility; at risk of skin breakdown
- Difficulty maintaining an upright or seated position
- IV’s or catheters when they arrive at rehab
- May have pain due to muscle spasticity
- May be on many medications
- May have difficulty with swallowing and/or speech
Respiratory therapy
As many as 50 to 75 percent of stroke survivors experience dysphagia and difficulty swallowing, which carry a high risk of aspiration pneumonia. Additionally, patients who have had a severe stroke or other debilitating illness may experience impaired breathing as a result of muscle weakness and reduced mobility. Respiratory therapists are on staff at Encompass Health rehabilitation hospitals who perform evaluations and treat patients throughout their stay.
Infection control
Infection is one of the leading causes of hospital readmissions. With patients receiving therapy three hours a day the spread of infection is elevated without proper precautions. To address this risk, an interdisciplinary task force developed a white paper that provided guidelines for infection control in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.
All of our hospitals have an infection control program in place that promotes patient safety, supports desired clinical outcomes and complies with all relevant rules and standards used by regulatory and quality oversight agencies to ensure patient safety while maximizing their access to effective rehabilitation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we applied and elevated these protocols to keep our patients safe.
Skin care
Patients with limited mobility are at an increased risk of skin breakdown, which can lead to serious complications. Encompass Health rehabilitation hospitals monitor a patient’s skin integrity in a variety of ways. We have standardized wound and skin care programs in all our hospitals.
Therapists and nurses help reposition immobile patients frequently to reduce the risk of skin breakdown and examine the skin for any signs of wounds. Should a patient have a wound, the hospital’s dedicated wound care coordinator manages the wound and creates a treatment plan for its improvement.
Reacting to risk
Encompass Health’s predictive model, ReACT, monitors a patient’s vitals and other information to provide real-time alerts to clinicians if a patient’s risk of readmission to the acute-care hospital increases.
Because medically complex patients may not be able to communicate well, ReACT plays a vital role in preventing complications before they arise and addressing them to reduce the risk of a readmission.
Pain management
Rehabilitation physicians help patients manage pain levels and provide non-opioid options when appropriate.
Physical therapists offer solutions to help prevent acute pain from becoming chronic pain, without the use of medication. Alternative physical therapy treatments like trigger point therapy, ultrasound, electric stimulation, stretching and massage help with pain management, allowing patient to rely less on opioids.