Why a Respiratory Hospital?
A simple guide through the process and possibilities ahead
A loved one is a patient hospitalized in the ICU in an acute care hospital,
dependent on a mechanical ventilator to breathe. After the patient is
stable, discharge to another hospital will be scheduled for specialized
respiratory care.
This is called transfer to a lower level of care and is most often to a
respiratory hospital or long-term care hospital
(LTCH).
Also known as long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals, these are medical
facilities that serve patients with complex medical needs who require
longer hospital stays and need highly specialized care. Stays are typically
less than 30 days.
After the patient has been weaned from mechanical ventilation and is medically
stable, discharge to another facility, a lower level of care, or home,
is scheduled.
At this point, the patient may benefit from a Skilled Nursing Facility, Acute Rehabilitation, or Home Health Care.
Hospitals and insurance providers work closely to ensure each patient is provided with individualized treatment plans with the goal of moving to the next lower level of care, as soon as the patient is medically stable.
We understand that when a loved one is ill or injured, dealing with a hospitalization can be difficult for family members too.
We know you need to have information.
We hope this simple guide provides some answers for you. We welcome any other questions you may have.
Glossary
Important Medical Terms to Help Navigate Critical Illness
Stable – ready to be moved to another hospital
Lower Level of Care – when a patient gets better and needs less intensive care
Discharge – leaving a hospital to go to another hospital or another facility
Recovery – getting better, how much better is different for every patient
ICU – Intensive Care Unit – a hospital unit for critically
ill patients –
usually 7 - 21 day stay
Hospital – a medical care facility for many different patients
Long Term Care Hospital / Long Term Acute Care Hospital – a hospital for patients who have been discharged from an ICU
Rehab / Rehabilitation – a place or process for helping a patient regain strength or skills
Skilled Nursing Facility – a care facility for continued recovery
Length of Stay – the amount of time someone is hospitalized
Tracheostomy - a medical procedure that creates an opening in the neck
to allow air to enter the lungs through a tube
Ventilator / Mechanical Ventilator – a breathing machine
Ventilator Weaning – a process to reduce dependence on a breathing
machine to allow a patient to breathe on their own again
TIPS© Weaning Protocol – Therapist-Implemented Patient-Specific “TIPS©” Weaning Protocol.
This is an evidence-based specialized respiratory care practice developed
by Barlow Respiratory Hospital interdisciplinary team of health care professionals,
led by our own board-certified pulmonologists and adopted as a standard
of care in hospitals nationwide. Patients are guided through an individualized
step-by-step method, implemented and monitored by respiratory care practitioners,
to recover the ability to breathe on their own.