AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine members and stakeholders practice in settings across the post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) continuum. Learn about some of the settings and terms associated with the PALTC continuum below.
Assisted Living is a living environment focused on maintaining independence in a supervised setting. Many assisted living residents live in communities with apartments and amenities such as group dining and medication assistance. Assisted living is not regulated by the Federal government.
Geriatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the care of patients 65 and older.
Hospice Care is focused on providing comfort and pain control versus extending one’s life for patients expected to live six months or less.
Long-Term Care is traditionally provided in nursing homes, providing patients who can no longer be cared for at home or in assisted living with support for both daily living activities and complex medical problems.
Palliative Care focuses on managing chronic conditions of a patient with the goal of providing comfort and the highest quality of life possible.
Post-Acute Care typically refers to care provided to patients recently released from the hospital, and can take place in many settings including nursing homes and rehabilitation centers.
Skilled Nursing Facility Care is care ordered by a physician, delivered by skilled nursing or therapy staff, and paid for by Medicare Part A for a fixed period of time (up to 100 days). Skilled care takes place in a nursing home, and may or may not be the same as post-acute care.
Learn more about PALTC patients, the PALTC workforce, and predictions about the future of the PALTC field below.