The Advantages of Senior Inpatient Rehab

Let’s look at the advantages of senior inpatient rehab.

In an inpatient rehab care program, such as is provided at Brookhaven Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, a patient stays at the rehab facility. Length of stay depends on the condition needing care. Ideally, following assessment of the condition by the staff, the patient remains in the facility until they have recovered.

Why Inpatient Rehab?

What are the circumstances that would indicate that inpatient therapy is the best option for a senior needing rehabilitation?

  • Any situation requiring an intensive therapy program.
  • Situations where family members prefer an all-included approach.
  • Time-sensitive cases where every day makes a great difference.
  • A person who suffered a serious injury and has been discharged from hospital.
  • A patient who had arthoplasty – i.e. joint replacement.
  • Following complex orthopedic surgery.
  • Where there is patient-centered or situation-specific restrictions on mobility.
  • Complex situations such as chronic health problems combined with post-op care.

 

Some Conditions where Inpatient Rehab is Recommended

  • Joint replacement
  • Stroke recovery
  • COPD
  • Arthritis
  • Cardiac Attack

 

Some Pluses of Inpatient Care

  • medically safer – the patient is monitored around the clock
  • multidisciplinary approach – the professional are all there ready and waiting on hand
  • patient continues to get care even when they are not able to care for themselves
  • convenient – nutritious meals are prepared and served, tailored to patient’s needs
  • pleasantrecreation is part of the treatment, combiningbusiness with pleasure
  • facilities and equipment – allows patient to become familiar with in-house equipment before hiring or buying their own

 

We Should Always Hope for An Improvement

The situation could change and improve over the duration of the patient’s stay in rehab.

By the time the patient is discharged maybe the patient will be:

  • more medically stable
  • have more independence
  • knowledgeable about their condition
  • understand their part in their care
  • informed about workarounds for their limitations
  • regained some physical strength

There are always many ways to look at a situation. Financially, choosing inpatient rehab may not be an option unless it is covered by insurance. Logistically, a family would want a rehab center that is close to their home town.

The patient may have an opinion on every matter and where possible should be consulted in a respectful manner.

Let’s look at some aspects on out-patient rehab.

 

Why Out-Patient Rehab?

Maybe a patient and their family feel they just want to go home.

If a patient feels they they are:

  • affected by the event in a minor way and medical staff agree
  • strong enough to go home
  • able to function safely in a home setting
  • can move about at home
  • able and willing to travel to therapy sessions
  • knowledgeable enough to manage their own care

 

ADLs – A Patient Needs to Be Functioning

Following discharge from hospital patient needs to be able to do the ADLs plus other aspects of self care. If they are unable to do so then inpatient care should be considered. The alternative is contact a home health agency.

The following are some of the things included in post-discharge self care:

  • Personal care
  • Organizing and attending therapy
  • Transportation
  • Pain Management
  • Medicine management
  • Shopping for or fetching medicines, food etc.
  • Wound care
  • Household management and cleaning
  • Any adaptions of the home for safety/accessibility

By choosing out-patient care, a patient or their family can divide the care. They can select more than one location, putting the focus on where they feel the therapy is best offered. In a specific case this would be an ideal option, but in a different case it would be a challenge.

 

Making the Decision

The onus is on the family to check how much of inpatient rehab expenses are covered by Medicare (usually for a limited amount of time).

Prior to discharge from the hospital, the patient and their family should have details of the patient’s care worked out. The hospital staff are there to answer questions regarding how much care the patient probably needs following discharge.

If the decision is to go for inpatient rehab, the advantages of senior inpatient rehab are many. Good luck with making the decision, and have a full recovery!

The Advantages of Senior Inpatient Rehab

Staff in inpatient rehab will do the best they can to make life like a bouquet of roses.

 

Photo by Jason Tharsiman on Unsplash

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