The average length of stay
for overall population is 7-8 days. The current average length of stay for
individuals waiting for placement in MPC is 38 days.
Hospitals face serious
financial implications when the length of stay extends beyond defined
parameters.
In many cases, by the time
transfer is possible, the patient has received long-term care in the acute care
facility and no longer meets criteria for continued hospitalization. The acute
care setting is not set up to provide long term care, the therapeutic care and
programming is designed for acute short term stay and is not appropriate or
optimal for extended stay.
The community services
available when discharged from the hospital are inadequate to support seriously
persistently mentally ill consumers with intensive needs (housing, supported
housing, residential programs, case management, clinical care and outreach).
Seriously persistently
mentally ill patients represent 60% of our population. These individuals end up
back in the hospital and on the waiting list again.
Recidivism rate has increased by more than 100% in the past year. SLCH reached last year’s total re-admission number in May 2005.
Individuals waiting for placement in long-term care represent 25%-50% of our population at any given time. This means that our beds are occupied and those in the community in need of hospitalization cannot be admitted.