Senior Care Center
We Are Here to Meet Your Needs
The Senior Care Center at North Alabama Shoals Hospital, which was founded in 2009, is the only in-patient acute geriatric psychiatric treatment program in northwest Alabama. It is our goal to help residents in our community achieve and maintain their highest level of functioning capabilities. Our mission is: “A commitment to the highest quality of care that preserves the dignity and integrity of every patient we are privileged to serve.” We hope that you will allow our trained staff to meet your needs.
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Call the Senior Care Center at North Alabama Shoals Hospital today!
Acute Psychiatric Senior Care Program
The Senior Care Center at North Alabama Shoals Hospital offers an acute treatment program designed to address a wide range of geriatric psychiatric disorders that require hospitalization. This highly specialized program provides acute care to geriatric patients exhibiting psychiatric symptoms, often in relation to medical disorders. Our 30-bed center treats patients age 55 and older who are in need of an intensive and safe setting. Our geropsych team is skilled at completing comprehensive assessments and intervening in highly complex cases involving interplay of medical, psychiatric, functional and psychosocial issues.
Commonly treated diagnoses:
- Dementia
- Mood Disorders, including Depression
- Psychosis
Clinical Services may include:
- Activity and recreation therapy
- Assessment and diagnosis
- Counseling/education/support for the individual and family
- Discharge planning
- Occupational therapy
- Pharmacotherapy
- Short to intermediate term treatment
- Stabilization of the patient’s acute psychiatric conditions
The geropsych team includes:
- Nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Patient Care Assistants
- Pharmacists
- Psychiatrists
- Social Workers
Individual and daily group psychotherapy play a key role in helping patients enjoy a fulfilling and productive life, while encouraging a sense of competency and hope.
Individual aftercare assistance is available to help ensure that each patient receives support after they return to their previous setting.
The Senior Care Center Referral Process
Consistent with the goal to provide the best geriatric psychological services possible, The Senior Care Center has developed a 4-step referral process to aid in approving appropriate referrals. The four step process includes:
- Initial Patient Identification
- Appropriate physician order
- Verification of benefits
- Admission
Initial Patient Identification
The first step is to identify patients who may benefit from the services The Senior Care Center provides, including those exhibiting signs of:
- Agitation, irritability
- Anxiety
- Appetite or sleep disturbance
- Behavioral problems (verbal or physical aggression, sexually inappropriate behavior or non-compliance with ADLs, diet and medication)
- Confusion, memory loss or dementia
- Depression, loneliness, withdrawal
- Difficulty adjusting to a nursing home
- Family related issues
- Grief, bereavement
- Psychosis, including hallucinations and/or delusions
A member of The Senior Care Center will be glad to come to your facility and initiate the evaluation process.
Doctor’s Orders
Medicare requires that all patients referred have an accompanying doctor’s order. These orders must be received and in the patient’s chart prior to the initiation of services. These orders may be telephonic orders obtained by the nursing staff.
Verification of Benefits
The Senior Care Center at North Alabama Shoals Hospital bills Medicare and other secondary or supplemental insurances directly. We will need a copy of the Face Sheet, complete with insurance numbers, so that our staff can verify that the patient’s benefits are current and cover the services provided. At that time, The Senior Care Center will identify any required co-payments. (Patients with both Medicaid and Medicare are usually covered 100% after deductibles are met.)
Admission
Once the appropriate records are complete, arrangements can be made for the direct admission of the patient to The Senior Care Center. Admissions can take place 24 hours a day. Prior arrangements for daytime weekend admissions can be scheduled. Night-time emergency situations should be sent directly to the Emergency Department at North Alabama Shoals Hospital for evaluation and determination for appropriateness of admission.