ABU DHABI // Long-term care centres are helping to ease the strain on intensive care units, according to health experts.
The centres are also improving the quality of life for patients who rely on this type of treatment.
Specialised intensive-care hospitals such as ProVita, which has centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and Amana, which has a facility in Al Ain, aim to provide a home from home and long-term care for patients reliant on ventilators.
This includes those born with degenerative disorders or congenital diseases, and the victims of car crashes unlikely to completely recover from their injuries.
“The common theme for many of our patients is that they rely on a very, very sophisticated level of health care that you can typically only get in an ICU or at specialised facilities overseas,” said Ali Hashemi, director of Amana Healthcare.
“Some patients, with intensive rehabilitation, can recover enough to go home but for the worst affected going home is not an option.
“What we are doing is providing the highest level of medical care but also trying to improve the quality of life and lessen the burden of the condition.
“This includes an emphasis on rehabilitation to maximise functional status. Social workers work with families and patients to help them adjust to the new paradigm.
“Staff arrange day trips to the mosque or the mall to help the patient feel a part of society, not a fixture in a hospital bed.”
This is a similar ethos to that of ProVita.
“The aim of ProVita is to provide chronic long-term care and move patients such as those in road traffic accidents into an environment that is less sterile and more therapeutic,” said Mike Davis, the centre’s chief operating officer.
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