In the world of medical care and treatment, hospitals have the goal of treating a patient until they are ready to return home to wherever it is that they live. Perhaps they have come into the emergency room with an injury and are being treated for it. Perhaps they have been admitted to the hospital for some kind of surgery which is performed and after the recovery period are released to convalesce in the comfort of their own home.
Still, others might be admitted to the hospital with an ailment that has yet to be diagnosed. While the doctors are trying to figure out what exactly is wrong, the patient might have to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time. In all of these cases, however, the end goal is for the patient to be discharged and sent home again.
When it comes to a nursing home, the expectations for the care of a patient are quite a bit different. Nursing homes are specially designed to take care of patients who do not need to be in the hospital but cannot be taken care of in their home. They might have a condition that requires 24-hour care and supervision and providing this in their home might be impossible to do. Someone with severe emphysema, for example, might not be able to get the kind of treatment they need unless they are a full-time patient in a nursing home.
Emphysema is not the only condition that would require one to need the services found in a nursing home, however. Various pulmonary disorders like pulmonary fibrosis can be managed much more easily in a 24-hour care situation like a nursing home. The 24-hour skilled nursing care that is provided can make life much easier for patients who are moving more closely toward the end of their life. Nursing homes are often thought of as places where only the elderly dwell, and while there are many elderly people who reside in nursing homes, they are actually for anyone who needs care 24 hours a day.
There are many nursing homes that are set up like hospitals in the sense that they are staffed by nurses and doctors around the clock. Many provide all kinds of services like speech therapy, physical therapy, and even occupational therapy. Many other nursing homes are set up to be more like a community. They might have kitchens and areas that are communal for all residents to use and enjoy.
Still, other nursing homes are set up to treat and provide care for patients who are suffering from more serious problems like emphysema, asthma, or chronic bronchitis. Other serious conditions that include memory issues like Alzheimer’s disease are handled in units that are specially designed to treat those particular types of problems and the issues that can arise from them.
Today, more than ever before, the healthcare system in the United States is working to be able to treat and take care of people who have illnesses and conditions that cannot be taken care of at the patient’s home. When the elderly, for example, need care around the clock and there is no way that the care they need can be provided to them, a regular hospital is not the place to find that care. It needs to be done in a 24-hour facility like a nursing home.
The good news is that nursing home facilities around the country are improving their care and making life much more comfortable for their patients every day.