Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals

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.

• 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 transitional care hospital, also known as a long-term hospital.

• 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. 

• What types of patients do we take care of in 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 care.