The Importance of Rehab for Seniors

When our senior loved ones suffer an injury or a health setback, we often worry that they’ll never be quite the same again.

But that doesn’t have to be the case.

In some cases, seniors don’t heal properly — not because they’re too old or too fragile to get better, but because an important step in the healing process was skipped. Rehabilitation under the supervision of trained professionals is key to maximizing a senior’s recovery from a variety of maladies ranging from fractures like broken hips, overall weakness from illnesses, joint repairs or replacements, strokes, or injuries from falls.

Senior rehabilitation centers and providers can also help seniors regain functions important to living a normal life that we often take for granted, like effective communication skills and even swallowing.

Types of Senior Rehab:

Physical therapy (PT) helps to improve balance, mobility, flexibility, strength and alleviate pain.
Occupational therapy (OT) assists patients with skills necessary to perform acts of daily living, such as getting dressed or preparing a meal. It also can help improve fine motor skills, as well as instruct them how to use adaptive equipment.
Speech therapy (SLP) is used to help improve communication, swallowing and address cognitive issues and memory problems. It’s often recommended for patients who have suffered a stroke but can help augment healing in many other conditions as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program.

In addition to producing better long-term outcomes, senior rehab helps reduce pain and improve balance, flexibility, and motor skills. The type of rehabilitation that best suits your senior loved one and the amount of time it will take to complete will be determined by both the nature of their health concern and their overall strength and condition. Each patient should have a care plan that is individualized to their specific needs and created by the rehabilitation professionals helping them work toward independence and recovery.

A patient who suffered a serious stroke will likely require 24-hour care in a hospital setting. For them, inpatient rehabilitation opposed to an outpatient senior rehabilitation center would be a necessity. It will help the patient slowly build up their strength and dexterity, with the goal to eventually graduate to a lower level of care. On the other end of the spectrum, a senior who suffered a minor fall could benefit from occupational or physical therapy, which would allow them to enhance their mobility, strength, and dexterity, and help avoid similar falls in the future. These treatments can be delivered either in the comfort of the senior’s home or in an outpatient clinic setting.

Rehabilitation care plans can also include training for a spouse, child, or other caregiver to teach them techniques to help their loved one return home and maintain the skills they learned in rehab. Part of an individualized patient assessment can also include looking at the home setting to make recommendations from a professional about modifications for comfort or safety.

If your senior loved one has suffered from a debilitating illness or injury or if they experience chronic pain, weakness or a lack of flexibility and balance, make sure to ask their physician if rehab treatments could benefit them.

It’s important to be proactive about rehab after a hospital stay. The cost of a month in a skilled nursing rehab facility can cost $8,000-$9,000. You could pay that out of pocket if it’s not covered by health insurance. If your senior loved one enters a rehab facility within 30 days of an inpatient hospital stay that lasted at least three days, their care could be covered by Medicare. Consult with your insurance provider to learn about the options for your loved one.

Still not sure what kind of rehab care would be best for your senior loved one?