Subacute care is essential to the healthcare system, providing intermediate medical and rehabilitative services between acute hospitalization and home care. This type of care supports patients who require a more extended period to recuperate than can be provided in a critical care setting but do not need long-term care. Subacute care includes many treatments for physical and mental health conditions, ranging from wound management to complex post-surgical recovery. What is subacute care?
What is subacute care?
Subacute care is medical care that bridges the gap between hospital and home. It provides comprehensive medical care to those who have suffered an acute illness, injury, or exacerbation of a chronic condition. Subacute care focuses on helping patients regain their independence following a hospital stay and reducing the need for future hospitalizations.
Subacute care can occur in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, long-term acute care hospitals, and outpatient facilities. Services typically include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and skilled nursing services.
Patients are monitored closely by physicians and other health professionals to ensure they receive the necessary treatment to reach their recovery goals. In addition to medical therapies, subacute programs offer social support services such as emotional counseling for patients transitioning from the hospital to the community.
Types of subacute care
There are two main types of subacute care:
- Inpatient services.
Inpatient subacute care requires a patient to stay in a healthcare facility for extensive treatments such as wound management, intravenous therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medication management, nutritional counseling, pain management, and more. This service helps patients recover from surgery or illness so they can return home as soon as possible.
- Outpatient services
Outpatient subacute care provides ongoing treatment for those with complex medical conditions but does not require overnight stays at a healthcare facility. Outpatient services offer an array of medical tests and treatments on an appointment basis in a clinic.
Conditions requiring subacute care
Patients who may require subacute care typically have conditions that are too severe for home health services but do not require the intensive level of treatment provided in an acute care setting. These include;
- Stroke recovery and rehabilitation
- Neurological impairment
- Orthopedic issues such as fractures or joint replacements
- Respiratory illness
- Wound management
Pediatric subacute care
Pediatric subacute care is an essential part of healthcare for children who require additional medical attention and specialized treatment. Subacute care is evidence-based and designed to help babies, children and adolescents heal from illness or injury more quickly than they could have in a traditional hospital setting.
It provides a transition between the hospital and home while ensuring that each patient receives the highest quality of individualized care possible. The goal of pediatric subacute care is to improve outcomes by managing symptoms, optimizing functioning, addressing medical needs, and preventing complications associated with long-term illnesses or injuries.
This type of care can involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and respiratory therapy as well as other support services such as nutrition counseling, psychological assessment, and social work services.
Benefits of subacute nursing care
With subacute care, patients receive specialized care in a residential setting without being admitted to the hospital for long-term care. Subacute nursing brings many benefits for both patients and their families.
- Patients can benefit from subacute nursing as it offers comprehensive medical services in a home-like environment close to family and friends
- This particular type of healthcare aims to aid recovery and maximize independence by providing individualized, quality treatment such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology services
- Subacute nursing provides support from experienced and highly skilled nurses who focus on helping individuals regain strength and mobility through physical therapy exercises, educational sessions about disease management, and nutrition counseling
- Subacute nurses provide emotional support for patient’s families by providing them with information about community resources available for post-discharge follow-up care
Challenges of subacute care
- One of the primary challenges for caregivers is determining what level of medical attention each patient needs
- Subacute care requires more medical oversight than traditional long-term care but less intensive monitoring than acute care
- As a result, it can be challenging to determine when to transition individuals from one level of care to another to maximize their health outcomes while minimizing unnecessary costs
- Subacute services tend to be much more expensive than other levels of care due to their extensive staff requirements and specialized equipment needs
- The most significant challenge lies in finding the right balance between providing quality medical and nursing care while avoiding unnecessary interventions. Subacute patients tend to have complex conditions that could benefit from more intensive treatment.
Acute care vs. subacute care
Acute care vs. subacute care is a standard comparison in healthcare, as they are two different types of care used to treat medical conditions. Acute care focuses on treating health conditions that require immediate attention, such as injuries or illnesses that require hospitalization and intensive medical treatment.
Subacute care is for patients who no longer need acute care but still require ongoing medical attention or who have been discharged from the hospital but need more care than can be provided at home. Subacute settings typically include nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and other long-term facilities offering 24-hour skilled nursing services.
Subacute care vs. Skilled Nursing
Subacute care and skilled nursing are both types of health care services, but there are some essential differences. Subacute care is short-term, specialized medical treatment typically provided in a hospital or similar setting and is designed to bridge the gap between hospitalization and returning home.
In contrast, skilled nursing generally involves around-the-clock medical attention tailored to meet individual needs. Skilled nursing can affect a stay in a rehabilitation or long-term care facility with access to comprehensive medical services and support staff.
Subacute care focuses on helping patients transition from acute hospital stays to more independent living at home while providing treatments such as physical and occupational therapy.
Post-acute care vs subacute care
Post-acute and subacute care refers to medical services provided after a patient is discharged from the acute hospital setting. Post-acute care is usually offered in a different setting, such as a skilled nursing facility, home health agency, or short-term rehabilitation center. On the other hand, subacute care is more intensive and specialized than post-acute care and may be provided in an intermediate-level care facility.
Post-acute care typically involves providing general medical and rehabilitation services for patients who no longer require acute hospitalization but still need additional help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. It can also include physical and occupational therapy to help improve functional ability.
FAQ
- What does subacute mean in healthcare
Post-acute and subacute care refers to medical services provided after a patient is discharged from the acute hospital setting. Post-acute care is usually offered in a different setting, such as a skilled nursing facility, home health agency, or short-term rehabilitation center. On the other hand, subacute care is more intensive and specialized than post-acute care and may be provided in an intermediate-level care facility.
Post-acute care typically involves providing general medical and rehabilitation services for patients who no longer require acute hospitalization but still need additional help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. It can also include physical and occupational therapy to help improve functional ability.
- What is an example of a subacute care facility?
Post-acute and subacute care refers to medical services provided after a patient is discharged from the acute hospital setting. Post-acute care is usually offered in a different setting, such as a skilled nursing facility, home health agency, or short-term rehabilitation center. On the other hand, subacute care is more intensive and specialized than post-acute care and may be provided in an intermediate-level care facility.
Post-acute care typically involves providing general medical and rehabilitation services for patients who no longer require acute hospitalization but still need additional help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. It can also include physical and occupational therapy to help improve functional ability.
- What is the difference between acute and subacute care?
Acute and subacute care are two different forms of medical care available. Acute care is designed to provide intensive medical services for a short period, usual time usually in emergency health rapidly deteriorates. On the other hand, subacute care is intended for individuals with chronic medical problems or disabilities who need continued support over a more extended period.
Periods acute care, they will often be referred to an emergency room for immediate treatment by specialized doctors and nurses. The goal is to stabilize their condition as quickly as possible so they can return home or be transferred to another healthcare facility. Subacute care involves more comprehensive services, such as physical and occupational therapy, which help chronically ill patients manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life over the long term.
- What is subacute care, also called
Subacute care is also known as post-acute or transitional care, and it provides treatment to those who have just left the hospital but may not be well enough to return home yet. Subacute care is often provided in a skilled nursing facility, though it can be provided in telehealth or at home with proper monitoring equipment.
This type of care often focuses on providing therapies for rehabilitation and recuperation, such as physical and occupational therapy. In addition to these therapies, subacute facilities may employ nurses, dietitians, social workers, and other healthcare professionals who specialize in helping people recover from hospital stays.
Bottom line
Subacute care is an essential medical service that provides specialized care for patients who are not ready to go home after being hospitalized. It helps to bridge the gap between inpatient hospital care and home care.
It allows providers to continue treating a patient’s underlying illnesses or conditions while also helping them regain independence. Subacute care is often provided at nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, long-term acute care hospitals, and outpatient clinics.