What is the Senior Specialty Unit (SSU)?

The Senior Specialty Unit (SSU) is located on the 5th floor and is a specially designed inpatient service of Washington Regional Medical Center.

As people grow older, an acute illness may pose a greater threat to their overall well-being and independence.  The goal of the SSU and SSU team is to minimize or eliminate these threats to our elderly patients and improve their quality of life, by coordinating all aspects of their care, medically and socially.  The SSU is designed to treat the same medical-surgical diagnosis found in other patients, but with extra services to benefit the elderly.  The SSU team works closely with the patients' primary care physicians in order to ensure the best care possible for each individual with no added cost to the patient and no increase in billing to Medicare or insurance companies.

What makes the SSU different?

> A comfortable, home like atmosphere
> A group activity room for socializing
> Non-glare tile flooring & softer lighting to help prevent falls
> Health/hospital protocols with geriatric focus
> Interdisciplinary team approach

Who Should be Admitted to the SSU?

Not all older patients are at risk of a decline during an acute illness.  Many patients over the age of 70 are robust and recover easily after hospitalization.  Other patients who may be at risk of decline are likely to benefit from being cared for in the SSU.  They may be identified by several characteristics:

> Decreased ability to perform activities of daily living
> Weakness with decreased ability to walk
> Memory impairment
> Confusion
> Depression
> Multiple medications
> Multiple chronic illnesses

Who is on the SSU Team?

> Geriatrician
> Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
> Social Worker
> Nurse
> Pharmacist
> Physical Therapist
> Occupational Therapist
> Volunteers
> Dietician
> Case Manager

What Does the SSU Team Do?

> Identification of risk factors
> Nutrition assessment
> Memory/mood assessment
> Mobility/self care
> Review of high risk medication(s)

Our SSU has everything you'd expect from the area's leading provider of highly specialized care.  Washington Regional is proud to be one of the first hospitals to offer this type of specialized care in Arkansas. 

Contact Us
Washington Regional Specialty Unit
3215 N. North Hills Blvd.
Fayetteville, AR  72703
479-713-1000
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