Through the years, there have been many changes to hospital systems and the services that they provide. Hospitals from years past were places where the homeless, poor and mentally ill were housed. Due to limited medical knowledge, no true medical care was provided in the early years. This caused a stigma to be placed on hospital care; causing the middle class people to avoid them at all cost. With increased medical knowledge in the 1900’s, hospitals changed into more of what they are today.
Today’s hospitals are medical institutions that offer varying ranges of acute, convalescent and terminal care for acute and chronic conditions that arise from disease processes and/or injury. Hospitals are reliant on technology and clinical medicine to …show more content…
Continuum of care is an integrated system of care that guides and tracks patient over time through a comprehensive array of health services spanning all levels and intensities of care (Berglund, Wilhelmson, Blomberg, Duner, Kjellgren & Hasson, 2013). Services such as extended inpatient care is for the medically unstable person that requires more care than can be safely and cost effectively provided in the home by formal or informal caregiving sources, but less than acute care. Care may be provided in nursing homes, sub-acute facilities, intermediate care facilities, or psychiatric hospitals based on the need of the person. Home health care is one of the components in the continuum of care. Home health agencies deliver skilled nursing care, therapy services, ADL assistance, DME and hospice services to people in the community. Ambulatory care centers such as adult day services (ADS) or adult day care centers are another important supplier of services in the continuum of care. ADS are typically daytime programs that offer personal care and therapeutic activities for frail people while natural supports work; affording the patient the ability to stay in the home with their family at night. Outreach and wellness are both offerings within the continuum of care that are often low cost if not free. Outreach is directed to those people who still reside in the community and affords information to keep them connected with the healthcare system. Wellness programs are often health education classes, disease management regimes or exercise programs that are designed to keep relatively healthy community dwellers engaged in their own health and wellness. Housing is a key component in the continuum of care because it has such a drastic effect on a person’s functional independence and health status. Housing accommodations can range from the addition of a home modifications on a personally
Today’s hospitals are medical institutions that offer varying ranges of acute, convalescent and terminal care for acute and chronic conditions that arise from disease processes and/or injury. Hospitals are reliant on technology and clinical medicine to …show more content…
Continuum of care is an integrated system of care that guides and tracks patient over time through a comprehensive array of health services spanning all levels and intensities of care (Berglund, Wilhelmson, Blomberg, Duner, Kjellgren & Hasson, 2013). Services such as extended inpatient care is for the medically unstable person that requires more care than can be safely and cost effectively provided in the home by formal or informal caregiving sources, but less than acute care. Care may be provided in nursing homes, sub-acute facilities, intermediate care facilities, or psychiatric hospitals based on the need of the person. Home health care is one of the components in the continuum of care. Home health agencies deliver skilled nursing care, therapy services, ADL assistance, DME and hospice services to people in the community. Ambulatory care centers such as adult day services (ADS) or adult day care centers are another important supplier of services in the continuum of care. ADS are typically daytime programs that offer personal care and therapeutic activities for frail people while natural supports work; affording the patient the ability to stay in the home with their family at night. Outreach and wellness are both offerings within the continuum of care that are often low cost if not free. Outreach is directed to those people who still reside in the community and affords information to keep them connected with the healthcare system. Wellness programs are often health education classes, disease management regimes or exercise programs that are designed to keep relatively healthy community dwellers engaged in their own health and wellness. Housing is a key component in the continuum of care because it has such a drastic effect on a person’s functional independence and health status. Housing accommodations can range from the addition of a home modifications on a personally