Huron Hospital opens specialized care unit for elderly
The soft lighting, no-skid floors and overall atmosphere of calm are among the first indications that this division of Huron Hospital is geared to the unique needs of a unique population.
Indeed, elderly members of the community are the focus of care in this new Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit. The fourth floor unit, which provides specialized and individualized care, began accepting its first patients in August 2010.
“This unit is in keeping with our tradition of providing quality care to the elderly,” says Keyvan Ravakhah, M.D., chairman, Department of Medicine, Huron Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic hospital. “Now, instead of being in different sections of the hospital for different services, we’ll be able to give them comprehensive medical and rehabilitative care in one location.”
Patients are referred to ACE by their physicians after being treated in the hospital for chronic diseases and other ailments. The 13-bed unit is designed to simulate a home environment for patients, to help offset any disorientation or confusion they may experience as a result of being admitted to the hospital. Rooms are private and more spacious.
In addition to being under the care of personal physicians, day-to-day treatment plans will be developed for individual patients for physical, occupational and speech therapy. The personal plans are developed and implemented to by an interdisciplinary healthcare team assigned to the unit. Their goal is to return patients to lives of independence, or self-reliance, as soon as possible for as long as possible.
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton praises hospital staff for being proactive in serving the needs of elderly residents. “Huron Hospital keeps adapting to the needs of the population,” he says. “This unit is a tribute to their concern for a segment of the population that needs specialized care.” He attended recent ribbon-cutting ceremonies to open the unit.
ACE was spearheaded by A. Gus Kious, M.D., president of Huron Hospital, and funded by the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Kious says the unit was established in recognition of the range of specialized treatment services needed by the rising number of elderly residents in the general population. “Many of them are frail and vulnerable, and require more focused levels of care. The ACE Unit provides these levels of care in a setting that’s more conducive to comprehensive treatment.”
Each room is furnished with bath facilities, storage space, television set, large wall clock and board for posting notes regarding medical visits and therapy sessions. Community dining facilities promote patient and family visits. Patients also can engage in group exercises and recreational activities to help them maintain muscle strength and agility.
The healthcare team consists of rehabilitation therapists, nurses, social workers, case managers, dieticians and pharmacists. They work closely with primary care physicians for the patients in designing and carrying out treatment plans. Team members meet daily to ensure that patients are receiving the care needed, and make any needed adjustments in treatment plans.
Wei Wang, M.D., internal medicine, Huron Hospital, also is assigned to the unit as “a medical care resource” for the team. “This is a service that is really needed,” says Dr. Wang, who additionally practices at two area nursing homes. “And, the family feel will enhance the patient’s ability get the full benefit of services being provided.”
Such meetings “provide the entire healthcare team with easy and comprehensive access to pertinent patient information to initiate timely interventions,” explains Ingrid Muir, R.N., director of Medical Surgical Nursing, Huron Hospital.