Ancillary services are a key part of the healthcare sector. In this article, we define the term “ancillary services” and explain how they relate to nursing home abuse.
In healthcare, ancillary services, also called ancillary care, are a wide range of support services intended to help doctors, nurses, and dentists. Physicians can request ancillary services to help them with the treatment or diagnosis of an illness or injury. As such, they are necessary for physicians to be able to function effectively. For example, when a hospital sends a patient to an in-house pharmacy to refill a prescription, that is an ancillary service.
Ancillary services are critical for allowing physicians to provide the best possible care for their patients. States regulate ancillary service providers and their equipment determining what consultation and supervision are needed. Most allied health care workers are required to be certified and physicians are sometimes required to be present during certain services such as diagnostic cardiac testing.
There are three types of ancillary services:
Usually provided in offices, hospitals, ambulatory service centers, or free-standing diagnostic testing facilities, diagnostic ancillary services include:
These services improve patients' health and well-being and include things like:
This type of ancillary service is used for patients recovering from chronic illness or injury or dealing with lifelong illness or disability. These include:
Nursing homes are a type of custodial ancillary service in which older adults who are unable to live independently receive inpatient care. Nursing homes are important essential services that allow many to have as high a quality of life as possible.
However, it’s important to be aware that nursing home residents can be quite vulnerable and, unfortunately, are often victims of abuse at the hands of the very people who are supposed to be caring for them. As a result, residents and their loved ones should remain aware and vigilant of the risk of nursing home abuse.
If you or a loved one have experienced nursing home abuse, you are encouraged to contact an attorney to see if you may be able to recover compensation for your suffering and injuries.
