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Services

Skilled Care

Hermann Area District Hospital is committed to providing quality health care services to those in need in the Hermann area and beyond.  Skilled Care is an important service that HADH provides.

What exactly is Skilled Care?

Skilled Care is offered in nursing home facilities, as well as within select hospitals such as Hermann Area District Hospital. A patient may qualify for Skilled Care at Hermann Hospital if he/she has had a 3 night stay (Acute Care) at a hospital (either at our hospital or a hospital elsewhere) and the doctor feels the patient is not ready to go home yet, but no longer needs Acute Care.  

Skilled Care is not the same as long-term care:

Many confuse Skilled Care as long-term care. Skilled Care is not long-term care, but it is instead a step in between a patient’s time at the hospital as an Acute Care patient and returning home.  The goal of Skilled Care is for the patient to rehabilitate so that he/she can gain back his/her health and strength to return to their home (wherever that home may be).  Long-term care on the other-hand, is a long-term placement at a nursing home, which is not a service Hermann Hospital provides.  With any questions you may have regarding the distinction between the two, feel free to give us a call.  We know it can be confusing to many and we are happy to help better explain and shed light on the differences between the two.  Please call (573) 486 - 2191 to reach Case Management and/or Social Services.

Examples of patients who might qualify for Skilled Care include:

  • Patients requiring intravenous therapy (antibiotics or other IV medications).
  • Patients recovering from hip or knee surgery.
  • Patients requiring wound care.
  • Patients recovering from a stroke.

What is the goal of Skilled Care?

The goal of Skilled Care is to help patients achieve their maximum level of function so that they may return home. This may include physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy. Specialized wound care and IV therapy are also available, along with other healthcare services.

What are patients’ options?

If it is decided by the patient’s doctor that he/she qualifies for and is in need of Skilled Care only if medicare or your insurance qualifies you, then the patient has the option to be placed at either a skilled nursing home facility or at a hospital like ourselves that offers Skilled Care (also known as our ‘Swing Bed’ program).  Again, to qualify for Skilled Care at Hermann Hospital, the patient must have a 3 consecutive night Acute Care stay at a hospital.  If the patient chooses Hermann Hospital, Hermann Hospital will assess and ensure that the needs of the patient can be met, including insurance/Medicare, and if so, will work to get everything set up for the patient’s stay.

Why choose Hermann Area District Hospital for Skilled Care?

There are several benefits to choosing us:    

  • Registered Nurses are staffed 24/7.
  • Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy are offered twice a day depending on the needs of the patient.
  • Our patients are not a number, but a person.
  • We have experienced and compassionate staff who care.
  • Our hospital is a beautifully renovated state-of-the art building with bright, spacious rooms. Patients can feel right at home.
  • Continuity of care is available through extended services such as Outpatient Therapies and Cardiac Rehab.
  • Also, the environment of where a patient stays and receives Skilled Care is vital to the improvement of their health.  Hermann Hospital offers a quiet, restful setting where patients are able to be as comfortable as they can while recovering.

Do patients have a choice as to where they go?

Absolutely, patients have the right to choose. 

Patients are not limited to receiving their Skilled Care at a nursing home.  If a patient would rather come to Hermann Hospital to receive their Skilled Care, the patient can let his/her current hospital staff know.  The patient’s current hospital staff would then send the patient’s information over to us so that we can assess and ensure whether or not  we are able to meet the patient’s needs, and if we are, we will work with the other hospital’s discharge planners to get everything set up for the patient’s stay here.  If the other hospital’s staff have questions, we encourage them to give us a call.  We are happy to help in whatever way we can.

Call to find out more:

We encourage patients to research their options to make sure they choose the best place for their health care needs.  Even if there is no need for Skilled Care at this time, we encourage everyone to research now in case the need should ever arise.  Feel free to give us a call and we will answer any questions you may have.

Are tours available?

Yes, we are happy to provide tours to those who wish to schedule one.  By taking a tour, people are able to have a better feel for where they, or their loved one, would stay to recover.  Tours provide the opportunity to see what a room looks like and where therapy is provided, and also provide the opportunity to meet the staff.  Feel free to contact our Social Services Director for a tour at (573) 486 – 2191.

More information:

For more information, please call (573) 486 - 2191 to reach Case Management and/or Social Services.