What is a "Continuum of Care"?
Posted on
Sep 18, 2019
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What is a Continuum of Care
The phrase continuum of care has been around for a while but not all providers are part of a true continuum when it comes to caring for seniors. Most providers involved in a continuum of care system offer opportunities for seniors to remain within a system that provides an array of services, often allowing a senior to age in place, knowing they dont have to move or change caregivers, even as their healthcare needs change.
A full continuum for senior care typically contains the following spectrum of senior housing and healthcare options; post-hospital rehabilitative care, dementia care services, traditional skilled, long-term nursing care, assisted living and senior living options, and hospice care.
Breaking it down
Skilled nursing services are devoted to people whose care needs require regular monitoring. This could be short-term for those who have been discharged from a hospital and need extra support time to recover, or those who need traditional longer-term nursing care. For short-term patients, rehabilitative therapy services are available on-site, as often as needed and as prescribed for optimal recovery and health.
When the focus of care is on activities of daily living rather than on skilled nursing, these individuals can often thrive in an assisted or independent living community. Traditional assisted and independent living communities offer apartments and often include daily activity programs, 24/7 staffing, three meals a day, medication monitoring, and more.
The home health care segment of a continuum allows for individuals to remain in their current living environment, with the add-on of in-home support for medically complex patients. This care may be provided by of nurses, physical, occupational, speech-language therapists and home health care aides.
Additionally, homemaker and companion service allows individuals the added support they need to maintain their maximum independence in their own home and may include medication reminders to assistance with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, etc.
Hospice professionals provide the physical, emotional, social and spiritual support to terminally ill patients, as well as their families and loved ones, while assisting patients and families to live with dignity and comfort as they cope with end-of-life issues.
Editors Note: This article was submitted by Tim Brown, who is director of marketing and communications with Athena Health Care Systems and may be reached at
860.751.3900 or by email TBrown@AthenaHealthCare.com
The phrase continuum of care has been around for a while but not all providers are part of a true continuum when it comes to caring for seniors. Most providers involved in a continuum of care system offer opportunities for seniors to remain within a system that provides an array of services, often allowing a senior to age in place, knowing they dont have to move or change caregivers, even as their healthcare needs change.
A full continuum for senior care typically contains the following spectrum of senior housing and healthcare options; post-hospital rehabilitative care, dementia care services, traditional skilled, long-term nursing care, assisted living and senior living options, and hospice care.
Breaking it down
Skilled nursing services are devoted to people whose care needs require regular monitoring. This could be short-term for those who have been discharged from a hospital and need extra support time to recover, or those who need traditional longer-term nursing care. For short-term patients, rehabilitative therapy services are available on-site, as often as needed and as prescribed for optimal recovery and health.
When the focus of care is on activities of daily living rather than on skilled nursing, these individuals can often thrive in an assisted or independent living community. Traditional assisted and independent living communities offer apartments and often include daily activity programs, 24/7 staffing, three meals a day, medication monitoring, and more.
The home health care segment of a continuum allows for individuals to remain in their current living environment, with the add-on of in-home support for medically complex patients. This care may be provided by of nurses, physical, occupational, speech-language therapists and home health care aides.
Additionally, homemaker and companion service allows individuals the added support they need to maintain their maximum independence in their own home and may include medication reminders to assistance with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, etc.
Hospice professionals provide the physical, emotional, social and spiritual support to terminally ill patients, as well as their families and loved ones, while assisting patients and families to live with dignity and comfort as they cope with end-of-life issues.
Editors Note: This article was submitted by Tim Brown, who is director of marketing and communications with Athena Health Care Systems and may be reached at
860.751.3900 or by email TBrown@AthenaHealthCare.com