Are you unable to help your loved one with dementia recover from a serious illness or injury? Ask their primary care provider about high acuity care. Keep reading to learn more about this customized form of senior care.
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What Is High Acuity Care?
High acuity care is short-term care provided to patients who need special supervision while recovering from a serious illness or injury. This type of targeted care includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and memory care therapy. It can also include helping patients complete simple daily activities, such as walking around the house and washing dishes.
High acuity care is tailored to meet individual patient needs. Two main benefits are shorter recovery time and a quicker return to normal activities. Since this care type requires the expertise of a medical professional, untrained family members aren’t equipped to provide it.
What Determines Patient Acuity?
Patient acuity measures a person’s physical abilities. Primary determining factors include:
- Mobility: Can the patient move around without assistance?
- Condition stability: Is the patient’s condition stable or unstable?
- Pain management: Is the patient’s pain manageable without special care, or would medical acuity care help ease the pain?
- Mental health: Would the patient’s mental health status benefit from high acuity mental health care?
- Cognitive health: Does the patient suffer from memory loss?
- Overall physical health: Does the patient require any level of physical rehabilitation?
Low Acuity vs. High Acuity Patients
There are a few key differences between low acuity and high acuity patients. Low acuity patients are more independent and require minimal nursing acuity care because their illness or injury is mild.
High acuity patients are less independent and require more assistance from a high acuity nursing service. Since their illness or injury is more severe, they require closer and more frequent monitoring along with more professional medical observation.
7 Conditions That Are Often Considered High Acuity
For those wondering what does high acuity mean in patients, the following conditions are often considered high acuity because they impede mobility and cognitive function.
- Alzheimer’s
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s
- ALS
- MS
- Stroke
- Serious fall or another injury
Read More: 10 Stimulating Memory Care Activities For Dementia Patients
How High Acuity Care Helps Seniors in Assisted Living Communities
In-house high acuity care allows seniors to receive the customized attention they need without stepping foot outside their assisted living communities. The four main categories of high acuity care are:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps patients build strength and balance. It’s designed for those who suffered a fall, causing them to injure their knees, ankles, or back. Physical therapy also helps higher acuity patients recover from surgery.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy helps patients who either suffered from a stroke or have Parkinson’s, ALS, or MS improve everything from hand-eye coordination to bathing to eating and drinking.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is designed for patients who suffered speech deficits due to a stroke or had surgery on their throats or vocal cords. It helps higher acuity patients regain proper speech and swallowing function.
Memory Care Therapy
Memory care therapy helps patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia improve their cognitive abilities.
Read More: Understanding Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
The High Acuity Care Your Loved One Deserves
If you’re overwhelmed by helping a loved one with dementia recover from an illness or injury, Terra Vista is here to help. By offering a comprehensive range of individualized medical services, including dementia respite care, our team of memory experts can provide the quality care they need to restore optimal mobility and cognitive function. Want to learn more about high acuity care at Terra Vista? Contact us today for more information.
