Ambulatory care is a type of health care that patients can receive. In this article, we’ll define the term “ambulatory care” and explain how it is related to nursing home abuse. 

Key Takeaways

• Ambulatory care is outpatient care, a type of health care provided without admission to a hospital
• Ambulatory care provides the advantages of being faster and more affordable than inpatient care
• Many services can be performed on an ambulatory basis including diagnostic procedures, minor surgeries, and dental services
• Ambulatory care can be delivered in a variety of sites including doctor’s offices, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care centers
• While nursing homes are not ambulatory, any intentional harm or injury to older patients in ambulatory settings is still considered elder abuse and can be treated similarly with reporting and legal action 

What Is Ambulatory Care?

Ambulatory care, also called outpatient care, is a type of care provided without admission to a hospital. Ambulatory care is on the rise, considered by many to be the future of healthcare, as hospitals increasingly divert services to outpatient facilities. It can save resources for hospitals and patients alike, including time and money. Patients receiving ambulatory care benefit from the advantages of being able to go home and back to their lives more quickly and having lower medical bills. 

Ambulatory care includes many services such as:

• Diagnostic procedures such as blood tests, X-rays, endoscopy, and biopsy of superficial organs
• Observation
• Consultation
• Treatment
• Intervention
• Rehabilitation services 
• Minor surgical and medical procedures
• Dental services
• Dermatology services
• Telephone consultations 

Ambulatory care can be delivered in a number of sites, including:

• Non-medical institutions including schools and prisons
• The offices of vision, dental, and pharmaceutical care providers
• Doctor’s offices for many specialties including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, and dermatology
• Ambulatory surgery centers
• Urgent care centers
• Examination rooms
• Specialty clinics or centers
• Hospital outpatient departments

Ambulatory Care and Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing homes are one of the most common types of inpatient facility, where any patients incapable of caring for themselves, typically older adults, are admitted for round-the-clock care and monitoring. As such, nursing homes do not fit under the umbrella of ambulatory care. 

However, anybody with an interest in or concerned about the topic of nursing home abuse may also want to be careful about ambulatory care settings and the possibility of abuse within them. While ambulatory care patients are not as vulnerable to their care providers because they do not spend as much time with them, there is still the potential for abusive conduct.

Any intentional harm or injury done to an older adult by a person responsible for giving them care is considered elder abuse. This includes actions such as hitting, kicking, pushing, burning, force-feeding, humiliating, giving incorrect dosages, non-consensual sexual conduct, and more. 

If you or a loved one have been a victim of elder abuse in an ambulatory care setting, it’s important to contact the proper authorities immediately. You may also choose to speak with an attorney about potentially taking legal action and seeking compensation for the pain and suffering the abuse caused.