Research And Describe Long-Term And Short-Term Care Faciliti

Research and describe long-term care facilities, short-term care facilities, and home health providers

There Are Many Different Types Of Health Care Facili

Assignment Details There are many different types of health care facilities. Your health care organization, an acute-care hospital, is considering an expansion of its operations by partnering and possibly acquiring a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital and a home health agency. The chief financial officer (CFO) has asked you to perform preliminary research and deliver a presentation to the executive team during its upcoming strategic planning meeting to consider possible alternatives. Research and describe long-term care facilities, short-term care facilities, and home health providers. Create a PowerPoint presentation of 5 slides discussing the following.

What are the differences between long-term and short-term facilities? How are home health agencies different from both long-term and short-term facilities? How does technology impact the delivery of health care services with each of these three types of health care organizations? Include how technology impacts and allows for more robust home health options for the elderly, or the chronically or terminally ill patient. What recommendations would you make to help the executive team in its decision-making process?

Include at least 2 outside scholarly sources, exclusive of your textbook. Your textbook may be used as an additional source. Always provide a Title slide and a References slide—and these are not counted in your total assignment slide count.

Paper For Above instruction

The expansion of healthcare services through strategic acquisitions requires thorough understanding of various healthcare facilities' distinctions and capabilities. The primary focus here is on long-term care (LTC) facilities, short-term care facilities, and home health agencies, particularly in how they differ and how technology influences their operation and service delivery.

Long-term care facilities primarily serve individuals requiring extended periods of assistance with daily activities due to chronic illnesses, disabilities, or age-related conditions. These facilities include nursing homes, assisted living, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). They are characterized by providing ongoing, comprehensive care with a focus on quality of life and patient comfort over prolonged periods (Castle & Ferguson, 2019). Their primary goal is to support individuals who cannot fully care for themselves and require assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, and medication management.

In contrast, short-term care facilities primarily address patient needs following acute medical events, surgeries, or injuries. These include inpatient rehabilitation facilities and acute care hospitals, which aim to stabilize, treat, and rehabilitate patients in a limited timeframe—usually ranging from days to a few weeks (Foner & Neumann, 2019). The primary focus is on recovery and returning patients to their prior level of functioning or preparing them for transition to other care settings.

Home health agencies differ significantly from both long-term and short-term facilities. They deliver healthcare services directly to patients' homes, promoting patients' independence and comfort while receiving medical care. These services include wound care, medication management, physical therapy, and chronic disease monitoring. Technology has revolutionized home health by enabling remote patient monitoring, telehealth consultations, and electronic health records (EHRs). These innovations facilitate more continuous and comprehensive care, especially for the elderly or chronically ill, allowing for faster response times and reducing hospital readmissions (Hill et al., 2020). Technology also helps providers track patient progress remotely, customize care plans, and communicate efficiently with patients and their families.

The integration of emerging technologies has transformed all three healthcare delivery models by improving efficiency and patient outcomes. For LTC facilities, electronic health records, telemedicine, and remote monitoring tools streamline administrative processes and enhance quality of care (Castle & Ferguson, 2019). Short-term facilities benefit from advanced diagnostic tools, robotic-assisted rehabilitation, and telehealth to provide timely and effective treatment. Home health providers leverage wearable devices, mobile health apps, and remote sensors to continuously monitor chronic or terminally ill patients, offering proactive interventions and reducing the need for hospitalizations (Hill et al., 2020).

Considering these distinctions and technological impacts, recommendations for the executive team should include investing in robust telehealth infrastructure to expand service capabilities, particularly for home health agencies. Developing partnerships with technology firms can foster innovation in remote patient monitoring and data analytics. Emphasizing staff training on new digital tools ensures seamless integration and maximizes benefits to patient care. Such enhancements not only improve patient outcomes and satisfaction but also position the organization as a leader in innovative healthcare delivery, ultimately supporting strategic growth objectives.

References

  • Castle, N. G., & Ferguson, R. (2019). What is nursing home quality and how is it measured? The Gerontologist, 59(1), e1–e9.
  • Foner, R., & Neumann, P. J. (2019). The importance of post-acute care services: Insights and challenges. Health Affairs, 38(4), 536–543.
  • Hill, J., Roberts, V., & Zwiebel, J. (2020). Technology and its impact on home health care delivery. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e19342.
  • Tan, J., Williams, J., & Davis, J. (2022). Innovations in long-term care: The role of technology. Journal of Healthcare Management, 67(2), 115–124.
  • Smith, A., & Lee, K. (2021). Enhancing patient care through telemedicine. Telemedicine and e-Health, 27(3), 251–258.
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). Types of healthcare providers. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/MedicareProviderSupEnroll
  • World Health Organization. (2020). Home care for older adults: Principles and practices. WHO Publications.
  • Johnson, M., & Patel, R. (2019). Remote patient monitoring: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Digital Health, 5(1), 17–25.
  • Peters, M., & Evans, D. (2022). Strategic expansion through healthcare facility partnerships. Health Systems & Reform, 8(3), e1969654.
  • Klein, S., & Morgan, M. (2023). The future of healthcare delivery: Technology-driven solutions. Healthcare Technology Journal, 12(1), 43–53.

Related Assignments