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Sunshine’s New Enhanced Assisted Living Smooths the Transition from Hospital to Home
With 24/7 on-site staff, medication management, and meals, you and your family can focus on healing and wellness.
Please call us at (509) 926-3547 for more information about how Sunshine’s new Enhanced Assisted Living can help you. Download a PDF of the Sunshine EAL brochure.
What is Enhanced Assisted Living?
Sunshine’s new Enhanced Assisted Living (EAL) provides short-term care after in-patient rehab stays for orthopedic surgeries, cardiac events, illnesses, stroke, and other health concerns.
EAL is a safe and temporary placement option after skilled nursing rehabilitation for those who are not ready to return home independently.
EAL offers more healthcare and assistance than you may get at home while continuing therapy through home health.
We work on safely transitioning you home after a health event such as:
- Orthopedic surgery such as hip fractures, joint replacements, and arthroplasty
- Heart attack and pulmonary events
- Stroke
- Other Illnesses such as infections and wounds
Enhanced Assisted Living has 24/7 on-site care, preparation of meals and snacks, medication management, and help with daily living, dressing, and bathing. You and your family can rest and focus on healing.
Customized Care Specific to You
We understand there is not one type of patient, nor is there one type of care. Enhanced Assisted Living offers a supportive environment for healing and is an ideal solution when you’ve met all your goals during your skilled nursing stay, but you’re not quite ready to go home independently.
Committed to Your Success
Sunshine’s Enhanced Assisted Living program delivers quality care and optimum outcomes resulting in higher discharge success. In Enhanced Assisted Living, you are cared for by home health providers who can follow you after you go home. We value family and support caregiver relationships, so we offer care conferences as often as needed. Our desire is to get you to your highest possible functional ability after a health event and will adapt care if your needs change during your stay with us.
Sunshine’s Approach to Enhanced Assisted Living
Sunshine Enhanced Assisted Living offers care for clinically complex conditions with more on-site clinical staff compared to traditional and long term assisted living facilities.
Our focus is your wellbeing, including supportive personal and health services that address your physical, emotional, and social needs. We emphasize independence, privacy, dignity, and resident participation in decisions about medical care. You’ll maintain privacy while healing and can enjoy socializing and activities when you feel ready.
A Safe Environment for Healing
When recovering from a health event, many people lose interest in cooking and cleaning. Their health can be affected by lack of nutrition and round-the-clock in-home professional care is often cost prohibitive or unsustainable when the family is providing care. Sunshine offers 24/7 care, prepared, and delivered meals, snacks, housekeeping, and laundry. We are fully accessible and offer assistive devices and transportation to off-site appointments. Often, temporarily retrofitting a private home with assistive technology can be cost-prohibitive.
Enhanced Assisted Living Provides
- On-site medical services, including 24/7 care and a doctor on-site
- Prepared and delivered meals, 3 meals and 3 snacks daily
- Accommodations for special diets
- Medication management
- Help with activities of daily living (dressing, bathing)
- Transportation to off-site medical appointments
- Laundry, daily
- Housekeeping, 5 days a week
- Double occupancy rooms
- Social activities, offered 5 days a week
- Daily visiting times for family and pets (with proof of vaccinations) that promote rest and recovery
- Concierge healthcare through our Resident Care Coordinator who will coordinate your care with outside agencies
Frequently Asked Questions / FAQs
Healthcare & Safety
Is there a doctor on-site for EAL?
Yes. The medical team is available 24/7. A doctor is on-site daily and on call 24/7.
Do patients bring in their own medications or all medications provided by Sunshine?
Patients can bring their own medication if it goes directly to staff on admission. Sunshine EAL staff will navigate any refills from there.
What on-site therapies does Sunshine provide?
Home health home therapies can be used as needed in the patient’s room or in our activity room in the event more space is required.
How does Sunshine’s EAL differ from a traditional assisted living facility?
Sunshine’s EAL will offer care for more clinically complex patients with more clinical staff presence compared to a traditional assisted living facility. Short-term rehab patients who use Enhanced Assisted Living/EAL typically are recovering from:
- Orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., hip fractures, joint replacements, elective joint arthroplasty)
- Cardiovascular events (e.g., open heart surgery, respiratory)
- Neurological events (dependent on severity and required LOC)
- Severe illness (e.g., sepsis, UTIs, wound care)
What safety measures does Sunshine have in place for EAL patients while they recover?
Sunshine EAL has fully accessible and adaptable living spaces including emergency call systems, ramps, transportation, grab bars, raised toilet seats, mechanical lifts, and other safety devices.
Is transportation provided to my doctor’s appointments provided (e.g., surgery follow-ups, chemo, etc.)?
Our appointment transporter can transport all residents to appointments as needed. We ask that a guardian, person with power of attorney (POA), or family member be present at the appointment if the resident is unable to make his/her own decisions. If a guardian, power of attorney, or family member cannot be present we will try to send a staff member or reschedule the appointment.
Are patients discharged to their own home or can they be discharged to a long-term care facility?
Patients are discharged to the location of their choosing if it meets safety requirements. Family or friends will need to help with discharge. A resident care coordinator will help with this. Home health providers can continue your therapies in your home after discharge.
Comfort & Amenities
How long should I expect to stay in EAL?
Your length of stay depends on the care plan developed between you and your doctor. Typical EAL stays are approximately three weeks.
What type of help will I receive while in EAL?
We help with all activities of daily living such as medication, meals, dressing, and bathing, so you can focus on healing and wellness. Our goal is to help you get to your highest possible functional ability.
What meals does EAL provide? Does EAL accommodate special diets?
While in EAL, you’ll have three full meals and three snacks per day. Our kitchen can accommodate any diets or restrictions if the provider gives written instructions.
Social Interactions
What are visiting hours for family members or clergy?
Normal visiting hours are10am-7pm. We make exceptions as needed.
Can my family bring my dog to visit me while I’m in EAL?
Pets can visit if the owner has proof of vaccination.
What interaction will patients have with each other?
Residents can have as much or as little interaction with other residents as desired, staff will encourage good relationships
What social activities are available for EAL patients?
Our Activities Staff offers stimulating activities five days a week.
Billing
How much does EAL cost?
EAL typically costs less than nursing home care or retrofitting a private home for round-the-clock private in-home care but depends on your level of care and length of stay with us.
How am I billed when I am staying in Sunshine EAL?
If you receive home health services while staying in EAL, those services will be billed separate from your stay in Sunshine EAL. Depending on your insurance benefit, you may receive a bill for coinsurance, copays, or deductibles. We accept private pay and Medicaid.
Who do I talk to if I have questions about billing and insurance?
Sunshine's financial services department is happy to answer billing and insurance-specific questions. For specific questions, please call 509-926-3547 and ask to speak with a financial representative.
Does the patient need to coordinate their own care once they arrive in EAL, such as making phone calls to home health companies?
We have a Resident Care Coordinator who can help as much or as little.
Contact Our Team for More Info! (509) 926-3547
Download the Sunshine EAL Brochure
