How does a long-term acute care hospital differ from an acute-care hospital or nursing home?
A. The average length of stay for an LTACH patient is 25 days as compared to a 4- to 5-day average in an acute-care hospital. An LTACH differs significantly from a long-term care facility or nursing home. LTACH patients are much sicker and may need cardiac monitoring, multiple IVs or even ventilators. Doctors visit LTACH patients on a daily basis.