Whether you or your loved one is recovering from surgery, a stroke, an illness or an injury, the choice you make about where to go for senior rehabilitation services is vital.
The need for short-term rehabilitation is usually a recommendation of the care team at the hospital. Many factors influence this recommendation, including prior level of functioning, ability to participate and benefit from consistent therapy, ongoing medical needs, and insurance plans.
When short-term rehab is recommended, it is provided as an inpatient service at a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH), Inpatient Rehab Facility (IRF) or at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). Let’s take a closer look at the different options and the needs they commonly serve.
Types of Post-Acute Senior Rehabilitation Services:
- LTACH – Typically reserved for long-term or intensive recovery from a complex medical condition. The care needed requires daily physician intervention for patients needing mechanical ventilation or suffering from complex wounds.
- IRF – Inpatient rehab (or Acute Rehab) is for patients who have undergone major trauma and require extensive care for recovery. Common reasons for needing this level of care can include stroke, amputation, debilitating injury, and certain types of complex surgeries. The focus is on functional recovery, and patients receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy for a minimum of 3 hours a day. A physician is involved daily in directing this type of rehab care.
- SNF – Senior rehabilitation provided in the SNFs typically focuses on helping patients regain the ability to resume their activities of daily living (ADLs) after an illness, injury, or procedure. This care could be needed for rehabilitating a physical impairment or for ongoing medical care and support. In a SNF, you will likely receive one or more therapies for an average of one to two hours per day. These therapies include physical, occupational and speech therapy. SNFs serve patients ranging from those who had orthopedic surgeries, to those suffering weakness following an illness, to those who developed infections and require IV medications.
(Although they are often confused for one another, short-term SNFs differ from nursing homes. Rehab facilities provide temporary care for patients who are recovering from a medical event and are expected to resume their previous level of independence and function. Nursing homes, while they often offer rehab services, serve as a full-time residence for their patients.)
Important Qualities to Look for in a Post-Acute Community:
The best time to explore your Post-Acute options is before you need care. Your insurance may only cover some locations, and most hospitals now have Preferred Networks of Post-Acute Providers with whom they work. This could include a physician from that network seeing patients at the post-acute community or specialized case management follow-up for continuity of care. These hospitals usually have standards the network must meet, and they also provide another layer of oversight. The Case Manager or Social Worker at the hospital should be able to provide these recommendations to you.
Other factors to consider:
- Reputation – Do your research and ask for recommendations from your friends, physicians, and look online for reviews. Make sure to consult several sources. Most communities have someone on staff who can give you a tour of the building and answer your questions.
- Amenities – While you may not think this is as important as other factors, a positive, comfortable environment can lead to a more meaningful and beneficial experience. Differentiators such as private vs semi-private rooms, outside visiting areas, and the quality of the rehab gym all matter.
- Location – It’s important to consider the location of the community for ease of visiting, proximity of follow up appointments and other medical needs.
- Service – Does the rehab provider offer the programming you need to maximize the speed and success of their recovery? It’s important to be sure they can tailor their services to meet the specific needs of you or your family member.
Bethesda is here to help
Bethesda offers comprehensive short-term SNF services in seven inviting centers located conveniently across the St. Louis metropolitan area. They’re staffed with personable and compassionate caregivers including highly trained nurses, therapists, and aides whose goal is to see people recovering from surgery, illness or injury regain their maximum ability to be active and live independently.
Bethesda also partners with St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors to offer a home health agency, St. Andrews & Bethesda Home Health, for those patients whose cases call for home health rehabilitation.
Click here to learn more about Bethesda’s Senior Rehabilitation & Therapy options or to get started.
