Skilled Nursing

CRMC’s Skilled Nursing Unit is intended for patients who are too ill to return to their homes, but below the criteria needed to continue in an acute care setting.

Many patients require rehabilitation or extended IV (intravenous therapy) after orthopedic surgery, stroke or prolonged hospitalization. Our professional and caring rehabilitation team is committed to improving the patient’s health and well-being.

Our team of care providers includes registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, certified nurse aides, dietitians, pharmacists and your physician. Each patient’s mental, physical and medical needs will be reviewed and assessed by the care plan team. This collaborative team will construct a plan of care that promotes optimal recovery in a timely manner that is tailored to the needs of the individual.

Purpose of our Unit

The unit’s function is to provide the highest quality care that will promote the physical, mental and spiritual health of the patient and their family. Patients admitted to the unit are no longer classified as acutely ill. The unit primarily services the geriatric population, people with chronic disability or those who need an extended amount of time for recovery. The average patient stay on the skilled nursing unit is 5-14 days. If the patient needs to stay longer than this time, other arrangements will be made. Our unit has 20 total beds with 10 semi-private rooms.

Discharge Planning

Discharge planning is started upon admission to the hospital and is continued throughout the stay at the hospital. This process prepares the patient for dismissal and assists them in obtaining community services, if needed upon discharge from CRMC.

These services include:

  • Meals on Wheels
  • Homemakers
  • Area Agency on Aging
  • Transportation
  • Durable medical equipment
  • Assistance with Medicaid application
  • Four county mental health senior outreach services

We also provide the following:

  • 24-hour care provided by registered nurses
  • Intravenous Therapy
  • Rehabilitation services
    • Physical therapy
    • Occupational therapy
    • Speech therapy
    • Respiratory therapy
  • Wound care
  • Respiratory therapy
  • Nutritional counseling by a dietician
  • Encouragement of socialization

The Difference between Hospitalization and the Skilled Nursing Unit

Patients in the skilled nursing unit do not require physician’s care on a daily basis. However, a physician visits each patient at least every seven days.

The unit includes a common area that is used as a dining room and a sitting room for participation in unit activities. If their condition permits, they are encouraged to eat meals in the dining room rather than in their bed. They are also encouraged to dress in street clothes and increase their level of independence.

Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs. The “failing” heart keeps working but not as efficiently as it should. People with heart failure can’t exert themselves because they become short of breath and tired.

As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in the tissues. Often swelling (edema) results. Most often there’s swelling in the legs and ankles, but it can happen in other parts of the body, too. Sometimes fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down.

At Coffeyville Regional Medical Center, a regimen that consists of various drugs, along with rest, proper diet and modified daily activities is prescribed by your cardiologist. A registered dietitian works with the CHF patient to improve diet, and an exercise program is often prescribed.