The Senior Acute Care Unit

The Senior Acute Care Center is a unit devoted to personalized geriatric care. The center is committed to helping patients get back to their lives with a meaningful recovery, using a range of therapies and specialized staffing to help restore full health and function.
Bringing a new kind of acute care to seniors.

The Senior Acute Care Center provides restorative care to seniors who are suffering from acute medical conditions such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure or stroke. Board-certified geriatricians are available to oversee care given at the unit, bringing expertise to the treatment of acutely ill patients who often have complicating conditions such as immobility, incontinence, pressure ulcers or delirium. Our supportive environment, staffed by specially trained nurses, helps our patients reach their fullest potential for a healthy recovery.

A Holistic Approach

Our approach is multi-disciplinary providing for the fullest possible recovery by treating the whole person:

• Nutrition therapy and dietary needs are found to be of increasing importance in the healing
  of geriatric patients. The unit provides consults in both areas to complement the medical treatment provided.
• Disorientation, anxiety and depression can often complicate recovery in seniors. That’s why the course of care at the unit includes opportunities for psychological counseling, socio-cultural support, pastoral care and pet therapy.
• Rehabilitation is an essential aspect of restorative care. The unit has therapists specially trained in geriatric activities-therapy to assist elderly patients in making the transition back to their lives at home.
• To further ease the anxiety and disorientation of unfamiliar surroundings, the unit uses large-print clocks, calendars, hand controls and signage. Another innovation is the paging system, which allows for “quiet” pages outside of patient rooms to create a more restful atmosphere.
• Pharmaceutical consults are an integral part of patient care. A certified pharmacist is available to review the use and effects of each prescription with the patient and family.

Using Technology

The unit uses the latest medical equipment to aid in the comfort, health and safety of each patient.

• Beds are equipped with an automatic bed alarm to assist in preventing patients from falling and potentially injuring themselves.
• Telemetric cardiac monitors ensure that any patient with special cardiac concerns gets 24 hour attention.
• Assistive devices, such as gait belts and wheeled walkers are provided to keep patients as independent as possible.
• Pressure-reduction and pressure-relief mattresses help prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

Involving the family

Understanding that families can provide the strongest support for a recovering senior, the unit encourages full family involvement. 24-hour family access is offered, along with family education in the particular condition and care of their loved one.

For additional information please call 845-338-2500 Ext 4342.