A major illness or injury can leave a person limited in his or her ability to function independently. The simplest tasks may seem like impossible tasks. Rehabilitation is a process that assists patients in learning to take care of themselves again and in achieving the most satisfactory lifestyle possible.
A Rehab Hospital is an acute care hospital licensed by the State. An acute care hospital is a place that takes care of people with a serious illness or injury for a short period of time. As a rehab patient, you can expect a minimum of three (3) hours of therapy per day at least 5 days a week, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech and language pathology. In addition, you may receive the services of a psychologist, neuropsychologist, social worker and/or dietician. You will also be provided 24-hour rehab nursing services. While you may receive many of the same services in another setting, such as sub-acute or skilled nursing, an acute rehabilitation hospital offers more intense coordinated, interdisciplinary services in order to help you recover more rapidly and increase the likelihood that you can return home.
Generally, a major illness can leave a patient weak and frail. Certainly rehabilitation, including proper nutrition, can help the person regain his or her strength. In other cases, such as injury or stroke, patients and families will develop strategies to make them better able to handle the daily responsibilities of their lives. The Admissions department of our hospitals will give you clear guidelines as to the type of patient that would most benefit.
What is the admissions procedure?
Patients come to us directly or through a variety of referrals, including physicians, health care professionals, insurance companies and community agencies. Before admission, an evaluation is performed to assess:
- Diagnosis
- Medical Condition
- Endurance/Tolerance for activity
- Cognition/Ability to participate
- Motivation/Willingness to improve
Once we receive the appropriate medical information, evaluate the patient, review insurance and/or consult with the patient’s physicians, we determine if one of our Rehabilitation Hospital is the most appropriate setting for the patient.
What does rehabilitation entail?
Rehabilitation is a custom-designed program for the patient that involves a team of professionals who will see to it that you receive proper training, exercise and practice. Of course, successful rehabilitation requires a great amount of understanding and support from family and friends. That is why we encourage family to become actively involved in the rehabilitation process.
No two people heal or learn at the same pace. How long one can expect to stay in the rehab hospital depends on the individual person and how well they are progressing. Generally, patients remain in rehab for as long as there is reasonable progress being made in several areas of functional ability. If the patient has reached maximum potential or if continued progress can be managed in an outpatient or home setting, discharge arrangements will be made. Patients with orthopedic diagnoses frequently progress well in 7 to 10 days, often continuing therapy at home or as an outpatient for several weeks. Some patients may require a longer stay before being discharged.
The answer to this question depends on many things, including your prior and current condition, your living situation, and your ability to participate in the programs. Some patients are able to go home in just a few days, others may require a few weeks. Overall, the length of stay for patients generally ranges between 10-20 days.
Most rooms are private. A few semi-private rooms are available for those patients who enjoy having company.
Your family is welcome during posted visiting hours; however, it is generally best for them to visit after 5:00pm. Remember, you will be very busy during the day having your rehabilitation treatments. The therapists will invite your family to participate in rehabilitation on certain days so your family can learn what they need to know when you go home.
You will be seen by a physician daily. The physicians are on-site, full time physicians who are readily available during the day, every day. They are available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our physicians are able to respond quickly to urgent or emergent needs. This daily contract allows rapid access to labs, x-rays, etc. and fast adjustments to pharmacological therapies.
The success of rehabilitation depends on the expertise of several professionals. To coordinate a customized rehabilitation program, a interdisciplinary team consisting of the patient’s physician, rehab nurse, therapists, psychologists, social worker and dietician meet each week, and whenever necessary, to discuss your progress, update the treatment plan and prepare discharge plans.
Whether you’re family or a friend, we know you try to be supportive when someone you care about is ill or injured. Often it is difficult to just stand by and watch this person struggle to do very simple tasks. The urge is to take over and do for the person. However, when you take over too quickly, you do not allow the person the chance to master the most basic of daily tasks. Understand that a great deal of our own self worth comes from our ability to maintain our dignity, if not our actual independence. The person you care about is struggling to master skills such as eating, personal hygiene and dressing sees these skills as measures of his or her self worth. Be supportive, ask before you take over and encourage your loved one to try again. Speed is not the goal. Progress is.