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Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit

When it comes to the best care for acutely ill older adults, there is no better place than Sacred Heart Hospital’s Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit. The ACE Unit specializes in geriatric interventions designed to address the unique and often complex needs of seniors. The first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley, Sacred Heart Hospital’s ACE Unit was developed to prevent the functional decline so often seen in the elderly during an acute illness and hospitalization. Two of the primary goals of the ACE Unit are to reduce the length of stay in the hospital and to return the patient to his/her previous living arrangement. To learn more about Sacred Heart Hospital’s ACE Unit, please click on the links on the left.

What kind of patient is admitted to the ACE Unit?
Sacred Heart Hospital’s ACE Unit can accept most acutely ill individuals with a medical problem or who are recovering from a surgical procedure. As a medical/surgical unit, the ACE Unit is unique in its added interventions specially developed to address risk factors common to seniors. Although not limited to, the ACE Unit is designed to assist patients who are 65+ at risk for functional decline.

What to expect when you are admitted to the ACE Unit
While are you are on the ACE Unit, the team will ask you to participate in your recovery and will encourage you to do certain types of activities, including:

  1. After confirming your level of activity, the nurses will encourage you to be as active and independent as possible. This will help you maintain your muscle strength.
  2. We will ask you to be out of bed during the day, especially for meals.
  3. As you become stronger, we will encourage you to walk with our assistance.
  4. While you are in bed, we will encourage you to “move around,” exercising your arms and legs.
  5. You will be encouraged to bring in comfortable clothes and safe walking shoes from home.
  6. Staff will also encourage you to perform as many tasks of self care as you can, such as brushing your teeth and brushing your hair.

The ACE Unit staff is always available to assist you. We welcome you and are here to help in your speedy recovery!