Acute Care
Acute care is the critical care phase, where your loved one generally requires 24-hour care of an urgent nature. The goal of acute care is to stabilize patients so they can be sent home or to another facility.
Acute care is typically provided in an emergency department, ambulatory care clinic, or other short-term stay facility.
What the Hospital or Facility Will Need From You
When your loved one checks into the hospital, you will need to present several items to the staff so that they can make appropriate decisions regarding treatment and care. During the acute setting, you can assist in the care of your loved one by having the following items readily available:
- A copy of your loved one’s advanced directive
- All of your loved one’s current medications or a list with the name of each drug, the dose, and when to take each drug. Note: include vitamins & herbal supplements. Some drugs are less effective and even harmful in combination with other drugs, with vitamins, or even with food and beverages. The more the doctor knows, the better care he or she can provide.
- Health insurance card, social security number and state- issued identification such as driver’s license
- Name and phone number for each of your loved one’s doctors
- A list of medical conditions, surgeries, and dates of last hospitalization
