A recent position statement from the American Geriatrics Society defines transitional care as follows : For the purpose of this position statement, transitional care is defined as a set of actions designed to ensure the coordination and continuity of health care as patients transfer between different locations or different levels of care within the same location.
42.
The patient returns to the ICU post-operatively for recovery, maintenance, and close observation; recovery time may vary, but tends to average approximately two weeks, after which the patient may be transferred to a Transitional Care Unit ( "'TCU "'), and eventually to a cardiac ward.
43.
The hospital has four key units for providing care after surgery : orthopedic spine unit specializing in caring for patients after surgery of the spine; the multi-specialty unit, offering care for things such as hand and wrist injuries, shoulder injuries and diabetic complications of the feet and legs; the total joint unit, an acute care unit specializing in care for patients who have had total joint replacement surgery; and the transitional care unit, serving patients in need of additional skilled nursing care.
