Long-term acute care (LTAC) is for patients with complex medical needs as well as rehabilitation needs. LTAC hospitals offer a wide range of rehabilitation services for patients with multiple or complex medical problems. Each patient's medical needs are the primary driver of care.

How This Type of Care Fits Into Rehabilitation

At an LTAC facility, highly skilled physicians, nurses, and other clinicians work together to provide specific medical treatments needed by each patient. Patients receive specialty nursing services such as wound care, telemetry, dialysis, chemotherapy, and rehabilitation therapy as needed.

LTACs are not the same as nursing homes. Patients at LTACs usually need more intensive medical services than a nursing home would provide and probably would stay for a shorter period of time.

Admission to an LTAC

LTACs are focused on patients with serious medical problems that require intense, specialized treatment for several weeks. Such patients often transfer from intensive-care units (ICUs) in traditional hospitals. It would not be unusual for an LTAC patient to be on a ventilator or need other life-support assistance.