When you think of excellent health care, you think of Sheridan. This not only applies to your Emergency Room visits or the birth of newborns but when you need additional time to recover from your injury or illness. That is Transitional Care.
Many think of the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) for rehab following a total knee or hip replacement. These patients make up only 5% of whom we treat in the TCU. In actuality, 95% of our TCU patients need our services after an unexpected hospitalization due to severe injury, illness, or urgent medical conditions like those listed below.
- Respiratory illness – pneumonia, COPD, influenza, COVID-19
- Cardiac conditions – congestive heart failure, post bypass surgery
- Urinary tract infections
- Multiple falls at home caused by an underlying medical condition
- Diabetes
- Complex wound care management
- Fractures – especially hip and leg
- General decline and weakness complicated by one or multiple medical conditions
- Long-term IV antibiotics due to complex infections
If you and your doctor plan for you to go home but your recovery is slower or more extensive than expected, you may require short-term rehab to ensure the best possible outcome. A transitional care stay is tailored to your needs based on the extent of your injuries or medical condition, your overall health, and your ability to live safely upon discharge. On average, the length of stay is 14 – 18 days, but patient needs vary from as little as a week to others requiring a few months.
Think about how hard it is to go on vacation and get back into a routine. When the body is fighting any of the above medical issues, patients are surprised at how rapidly their physical abilities deteriorate. Being ill or injured and out of your routine can cause you to lose the ability to perform daily tasks, stay mobile, and provide the level of self-care necessary to return home safely. Transitional Care helps patients relearn functions like how to properly reach into a closet and dress after their injury, ensure optimal breathing after a bout with pneumonia and being bedridden for a week, or navigate rugs and other trip hazards at home with their new walker.
Most don’t plan on needing an additional rehab stay, but we are here to get you back to your house and your life when the unexpected happens, and you need it most.
To learn more about Transitional Care talk to your provider or Click Here (https://www.sheridanhospital.org/medical-services/transitional-care/) today.