Our locally led, centrally supported model empowers facility leaders to proactively meet community needs through innovative services
At PACS, we know healthcare is local and view post-acute care as an extension of the high-quality primary and specialty care our patients receive at local hospitals and clinics. To deliver excellence, we encourage our facility leaders to have their finger on the pulse of community needs, and to regularly collaborate with their peers, local hospitals, and referral partners.
Our model of care is locally led and centrally supported. That means that across our 320+ facilities, we equip local leaders with the enterprise-level resources they need to meet their community’s residents, caregivers, and team members where they are and get them to where they want to be. Backed by a comprehensive suite of tools and resources, like custom, real-time facility dashboards, local leaders closely monitor and analyze data, delve into community trends, and pursue options to enhance care. Together, we advance our mission of revolutionizing the delivery, leadership, and quality of senior living and post-acute care nationally.
Our collective commitment to delivering clinical excellence and personalized care is key to meeting community needs for issues ranging from head trauma and stroke to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and even rehab from pickleball injuries.
Wound Care
PACS teams are caring for acute and chronic wounds with a variety of treatments, including UltraMIST. Long-term care patients are now able to benefit from a wound therapy device that can dramatically reduce pain and facilitate quicker closure for wounds like diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and deep tissue injuries. A trained physical therapist uses UltraMIST to deliver sound waves to the treatment site through a saline solution. The treatment, now a standard option in our advanced wound care program, removes dead and infected tissue to reduce the risk of infection, improves circulation, and promotes the growth of new blood vessels and healthy skin cells needed for healing.
Peter Barges, Director of Rehabilitation at Salinas Valley Post Acute, has seen firsthand the powerful impact of UltraMIST in improving patients’ quality of life. “A patient under my care with chronic neuropathic ulcers in both lower extremities struggled with constant itching that kept him awake most nights Following his third UltraMIST session, he shared that he was finally able to sleep through the night, something he had not been able to do for weeks,” describes Barges. “The relief was noticeable and significant. I love this device. It has helped me close wounds that have been open for month, and my patients don’t miss their sessions because they can see and feel the value it brings.”
Sensory Therapy
Local leaders are also innovating ways to care for their patients and residents with sensory processing disorder. This condition causes difficulty interpreting and responding to sensory experiences, specifically those pertaining to sight, sound, touch, taste, and motion. The disorder can be caused by trauma to the head, illness, and acute neurologic events including stroke, and can trigger agitation, emotional irregularities, falls, wandering, and sensitivity to sounds, textures, or light. At PACS facilities, physical and occupational therapists partner one-on-one with patients to help them learn to better adapt to sensory stimuli in their environment. Tools may include wiggle seats, weighted blankets, music, and aromatherapy.
Respiratory Therapy
The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) amongst older adults has been increasing significantly in the United States since 2000. PACS is meeting the growing need for respiratory therapy, including pulmonary rehabilitation, by supporting facility administrators in hiring staff best suited to their community’s needs. Respiratory therapists and trained nurses employ a program of education and exercises to reduce symptoms and improve lung function for patients and residents with COPD and other chronic lung conditions, like asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and interstitial lung disease. Programs are tailored to the needs of each individual and could include techniques like breathing techniques, light weight training, stretching, cardiovascular exercise, and even singing.
Revolutionizing the Post-Acute Care Experience
These innovative treatments are just a few of the ways in which the PACS care teams empower post-acute care professionals to be nimble and inventive about the experience they cultivate within their facilities. Our facilities increasingly earning 4- and 5-star CMS quality ratings, low hospital readmission rates, and consistently high occupancy are just a few indicators that our patients, residents, and referral networks are benefiting from our model.