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28 Chapter 2 located throughout the world that provide care for government service personnel and their dependents; examples are Veterans Administration hospitals (which provide care for veterans), state psychiatric hospitals, and state rehabilitation centers • University or college medical centers: provide hospital services along with research and education; can be funded by private and/or governmental sources In many instances the classifications and types of hospitals can overlap. For example, a hospital in a major city can be a for-profit hospital, but still receive g overnment funding. A hospital can also be a general hospital, but offer specialty services such as oncology and pediatrics. Long-Term Care Facilities Long-term care facilities (LTCs or LTCFs) mainly provide assistance and care for elderly patients, usually called residents. However, they also provide care for individuals with disabilities or handicaps and individuals with chronic or long-term illness. There are many different types of long-term care f acilities. Some of the more common ones include: • Residential care facilities (nursing homes or geriatric homes): designed to provide basic physical and emotional care to individuals who can no longer care for themselves; help individuals with activities of daily living (ADLs), provide a safe and secure environment, and promote opportunities for social interactions • Extended care facilities or skilled care facilities: designed to provide skilled nursing care and rehabilitative care to prepare patients* or residents for return to home environments or other long-term care facilities; some have subacute units designed to p rovide services to patients who need rehabilitation to recover from a major illness or surgery, treatment for cancer, or treatments such as dialysis for kidney disease or heart monitoring • Independent living and assisted living facilities: a llow individuals who can care for themselves to rent or purchase an apartment in the facility; provide services such as meals, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, social events, and basic medical care (such as assisting with medications) Most assisted or independent living facilities are associated with nursing homes, extended care facilities, and/or skilled care facilities. This allows an individual *In some health care facilities, patients are referred to as clients. For the purposes of this text, patient will be used. to move readily from one level of care to the next when health needs change. Many long-term care facilities also offer special services such as the delivery of meals to the homes of the elderly, chronically ill, or people with disabilities. Some facilities offer senior citizen or adult day care centers, which provide social activities and other services for the elderly. The need for long-term care facilities has increased dramatically because of the large increase in the number of elderly people. Many health care career opportunities are available in these facilities, and there is a shortage of nurses and other personnel. Medical Offices Medical offices vary from offices that are privately owned by one physician to large complexes that operate as corporations and employ many physicians and other health care professionals. Medical services obtained in these facilities can include diagnosis (determining the nature of an illness), treatment, examination, basic l aboratory testing, minor surgery, and other similar care. Some medical physicians treat a wide variety of illnesses and age groups, but others specialize in and handle only certain age groups or conditions. Examples of specialities include pediatrics (infants and children), cardiology (diseases and disorders of the heart), and obstetrics (care of the pregnant female). Dental Offices Dental offices vary in size from offices that are privately owned by one or more dentists to dental clinics that employ a group of dentists. In some areas, major retail or department stores operate dental clinics. Dental services can include general care provided to all age groups or specialized care offered to certain age groups or for certain dental conditions. Clinics or Satellite Centers Clinics, also called satellite clinics or satellite centers, are health care facilities found in many types of health care. Some clinics are composed of a group of medical or dental doctors who share a facility and other personnel. Other clinics are operated by private groups who provide special care. Examples include: • Surgical clinics or surgicenters: perform minor surgical procedures; frequently called "one-day" surgical centers because patients are sent home immediately after they recover from their operation • Urgent, walk-in, or emergency care clinics: provide first aid or emergency care to ill or injured patients • Rehabilitation clinics: offer physical, occupational, speech, and other similar therapies