SKILLED NURSING FACILITY OPENS

Southeast Missouri Hospital has opened a new 10-bed skilled nursing facility.

The unit, located on the hospital's fifth floor, is designed for individuals who require additional skilled care after a hospital stay.

SNF Director Vicky Holman, RN, said the unit was established to "augment the hospital's continuum of care by adding another discharge placement alternative and to help bridge the gap between hospital and home."

Holman said unit certification by the State Department of Health is in its final stages.

Renovation work at the skilled nursing facility included installation of handicapped-accessible showers and construction of a family waiting room. Resident rooms convey a more home-like atmosphere, and patients who are able will dine in the unit's new private dining room.

The facility's residents could include patients who have undergone orthopedic surgical procedures, as well as stroke patients or medical patients with complex needs.

During a resident's stay an individualized plan of care will be developed, Holman said. "A primary focus of care is to educate both residents and families in the skills and information needed to care for residents' health needs after returning home.

"The unit is designed for short-term convalescent care," she said. "We will help give residents additional time to recuperate and hopefully learn how to care for themselves. The ultimate goal is to return residents to their homes."