Dar As-Salama Medical Hospital was established in 1958 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the name of “Al Khobar Pediatric and Maternity Hospital” and it is considered to be a pioneer hospital in the eastern region of the Kingdom. The name was later changed to As-Salama Hospital in 1965.
The hospital’s unique strategy has helped attract a wide spectrum of patients from the community families and employees from around the world. The efforts of multiple stakeholders have resulted in the success and continuous growth of the hospital over the years. In 2020, the hospital joined the Saudi Medical Care Group (SMG) and the name was again changed to Dar As-Salama Medical Hospital.
Dar As-Salama Medical Hospital is fully licensed as a general care hospital with 140 beds and offers its services to patients whose medical needs can be met within the capability of the hospital’s staff and facilities that include geriatric services. This hospital is dedicated to offering its services in the most caring and compassionate manner.
Senior citizens in the Kingdom can expect appropriate hospitality, general medical care and treatments and special interventional care if needed and at the same time, patients’ rights and confidentiality are respected and maintained.
The hospital has a geriatric unit dedicated to those in need of services that are primarily custodial, who require a combination of medical, nursing, social, psychological and rehabilitation services. It is also one of the major units in the hospital that provides care to residents (patients) in a multidisciplinary approach in the long-term care settings in a safe environment to prevent injuries or the development of complications.
The hospital is committed to excelling in clinical practice. Professional competence and quality care are assured through recruitment, retention and continuing education of highly skilled staff. Staffing plans for patient care departments are evaluated to determine that the personnel can provide competent services within the scope of professional qualification, experience and licensing.
Rooms are prepared and equipped to help the healthcare team perform the tasks and provide the best practice of care: electrical bed, lifting machine, pressure ulcer devices, and essential medical and equipment supplies.
Multidisciplinary patient care is done from Saturday to Thursday every three months. Monthly schedules are also posted in all long-term wards. It is done to ensure continuity of care of the patient, to assess the outcome of patient’s care, to discuss medical and nursing problems, plan and suggest solutions and to ensure and facilitate good communication related to patient care between the multidisciplinary teams.
The hospital believes that all patients should be assessed by the appropriate healthcare professionals to determine initial condition changes, changing condition needs, the effectiveness of care and interventions and discharge planning when appropriate. It consists of a multidisciplinary team (Attending physician, LTC Coordinator, staff nurse, pharmacist, Respiratory therapist, Dietitian and Social worker) approach of managing patients in an organized manner.
All long-term care patients are scheduled for monthly medical evaluation/monthly review. Multidisciplinary team will review and revise the care and treatment for all long-term care patients and it is documented in the patient plan of care in the patient’s file.
The residents’ families are invited to attend the meeting once the patient is ready for discharge. Care planning is the health planning approach that assures continuity of care within the hospital or upon transfer to other care facilities or from hospital to home. It involves coordinating resources of the medical team and assisting patients and families in meeting their timely hospital health care needs.
Care of tracheostomy, urinary catheters, feeding tubes and PEG tubes, vaccinations and dental checkups and care are provided constantly and professionally.
The geriatrics care unit at the hospital has a reputation of being one of the best in the Kingdom because of its excellent service over the last three decades. The number of geriatrics patients that the hospital has cared for over the years has grown significantly. According to the hospital, it has the provision of the best supportive staff, care, quality, and technology to leap to another level of services to meet its patients and families’ satisfaction and expectations all the time.
“We are dedicated to helping aging individuals and patients attain their greatest productivity and the highest possible quality of life. We are committed to excellence in the accomplishment of all activities relevant to our mission, to foster the development of local and regional systems of geriatrics care that impact cost and quality and promote successful aging.”