Frequently Asked Questions
What is a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital?
When you leave a traditional hospital, you may need continued care to recover completely. Our hospitals, certified as long-term acute care hospitals, offer the same in-depth care you would receive in a traditional hospital or intensive care unit, but for an extended recovery period.
We partner with your physician and offer 24-hour clinical care seven days a week so you can start your journey to wellness.
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Why wouldn’t I stay at a short-term hospital?
The goal of a traditional hospital is to diagnose and stabilize your condition to help you recover as quickly as possible after pressing health issues – emergencies brought on by illness or an accident – for usually a few days or a week.
However, sometimes a quick recovery is unrealistic – you may be too sick or otherwise medically complex and need specialized care and extended recovery time. In that case, you need a long-term acute care hospital.
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Why would I be referred to Kindred Hospital as an option when I leave the hospital?
A process called discharge planning begins immediately upon admission to any hospital to ensure you are in the appropriate care setting for your medical needs. Your care coordinator may have suggested Kindred Hospitals because:
- You need more recovery time in a hospital setting
- We specialize in treating your diagnoses
- You require daily monitoring by a physician(s)
- You require team-based care
Traditional hospitals treat your short-term medical needs for typically four to five days, but our hospitals have an additional Medicare certification that allows you to receive in-depth care for an extended time.
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What kinds of patients are at Kindred Hospitals?
You might be referred to us if you:
- Are dependent upon a ventilator or other technology for regular breathing
- Have medically complex conditions such as pulmonary disease, neurological deficits, cardiac disease, renal (kidney) failure requiring dialysis, wound care, infectious diseases or complications following surgery
- Have simultaneous chronic conditions or multi-system organ failure with significant loss of independence
- Need extended care or recovery time after a traditional hospital stay
Our goal is to help you efficiently transition to the next step of your treatment plan to regain your independence through specialized long-term acute care.
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What Is the difference between Kindred Hospital and a nursing center or rehabilitation hospital?
At our hospitals, you receive a higher level of specialized care than the care provided in a skilled nursing center. Under our care, you have 24-hour physician or physician-extender coverage and are seen at least once per day by the attending physician. We provide around-the-clock nursing care and special critical care in intensive care units.
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How does the admissions process work?
We want the transition to be as smooth as possible for you and your family. That’s why one of our clinical liaisons will meet with your care coordinator to review your medical history and current health condition. Once it’s determined that a Kindred Hospital is right for you, an admission date and time will be selected by all parties involved.
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Will insurance cover treatment at Kindred Hospital?
Part of the admission process outlined above includes verification of insurance. We encourage you and your family to be as familiar with your coverage and benefits as possible; however, if you have any questions, we can refer you to someone in our admissions office who may be able to assist with any financial or insurance questions. We accept most forms of insurance.
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Will my doctor from the hospital follow me to Kindred Hospital?
We encourage all of your physicians to follow your progress in our hospital. If your current physician does not have attending privileges, we can recommend a Kindred physician for you and we can provide them with updates on your status.
Rest assured that you’re in good hands. We offer 24-hour physician or physician-extender coverage. Our physicians are from a variety of fields, including internal medicine, critical care and pulmonary care.
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Does Kindred provide rehabilitation services? When does treatment begin?
We believe early rehabilitation is essential for recovering strength and function. Our rehabilitation team includes:
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Speech-language pathologists
Assessment begins immediately, and the duration and frequency of daily therapy sessions will depend upon your tolerance level.
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Where do people go when they leave Kindred Hospitals?
When you are ready to leave our hospital, we will help you find an option for the next level of care:
- Home health
- Acute rehabilitation
- Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals
- Skilled nursing centers
- Subacute units
- Assisted living facilities
- Any applicable outpatient services
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