While every patient’s needs will vary, there are a few things everyone should know about short term care. Fill out the form to download our free guide to take charge of your own recovery today.
Short term care, or rehab, might be needed at some point for yourself or a loved one – regardless of age or health, people require short term care for a number of reasons. In this guide, we’ll share what short term care is, how it’s used for successful recovery, services offered, reasons people need short term care, how to choose the right facility, and finally, how to transition home once your brief stay is complete.
Let’s begin with the basics – what is short term care? The goal of short term rehab is to help patients make their best possible recovery and regain their highest level of function as quickly as possible.
This is accomplished through individualized and comprehensive treatment and therapy from a multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation professionals.
Short term rehab programs often provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, in addition to 24/7 care. This might include access to physicians, care specialists, and more, depending on the patient’s needs.
Since most short term rehab programs offer intensive rehabilitative therapy, this means that patients spend up to three hours with therapists each day.
Amongst other questions, many patients wonder how long their stay will be in short term care. Generally, the stay will last 9 to 10 days, but it all depends on the needs, goals, and level of health of the patient when they begin a treatment program.
What determines success with short term rehab? There are many factors, but let’s focus on four key components:
As it relates to short term care, caregivers of individuals may need a break from time to time. This is where respite care comes in.
Respite care services can come in many forms – whether it’s in an adult day care center, or in a skilled health care facility. Particularly when it comes to caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia, a respite care provider can step in to alleviate a main caregiver or family members for a day or two each week.
While you might not require respite services right now, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead and research providers in your area and have a few in mind if the time comes when you need help.
Accidents are never expected – and the recovery process can take some time. A good short term rehab program can help in several ways.
Unlike accident recovery, recovering from surgery allows patients to plan ahead. If you know you’ll need short term rehab, here are a few considerations.
Much like accident recovery, you can expect a specialized plan that will help you regain your strength, health, and independence. This might include physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutritional counseling, pain management, or wound care.
Aside from the services available, the facility itself is important. As you research options, you should consider if the facility has experience rehabilitating patients with similar circumstances.
A good resource for researching might be your surgeon or the healthcare team you’re working with to determine the best options in your area. Finding a facility close to home might also be a good idea so that friends and family can visit and encourage you throughout your recovery. Also, be sure to read reviews – they are usually readily available on the facility website or even when you do a search on Google.
Lastly, another aspect to consider as you choose the right program for recovery, is making sure that your insurance will cover the costs of your short term rehab facility.
While recovering from knee or joint replacement surgery requires patience and determination, short term rehab can assist in speeding up your recovery time. Explore the ways you can speed up your recovery:
If you’re preparing for hip replacement surgery, knowing how you’re going to recover and how long the process will take is an important step.
First, let’s discuss why short term rehab can help your recovery. Inpatient short term rehab programs often provide the best possible outcomes for patients. By setting and meeting goals with trained staff, patients receive the assistance they need that can’t be found from outpatient or home-based therapy.
On average, patients will stay in short term rehab for about 9-10 days. However, it also depends upon age and general health, so your stay might be shorter or longer.
Ultimately your length of stay will be determined when you go through an evaluation at the beginning of your short term rehab program. Led by a physician and multidisciplinary team of professionals, the information gather during this process will be used to determine your treatment plan.
At some point, you or a loved one might require short term care. Our comprehensive guide, Finding a Short Term Care Program to Assist Your Recovery, shares what it is, how it helps, why patients need it to recover, and more.
If you or a loved one is facing recovery from a stroke, you know that the process to healing can make a major difference in the outcome.
If some level of disability is experienced after a stroke, a stay in a short term rehab facility might be recommended. This will allow patients to receive a sustained, coordinated, and collaborative treatment from a multidisciplinary team.
Depending on the treatment plan, this team might include, physicians, nurses, physical, occupational and speech therapists, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists.
Once able, patients can receive rehabilitation therapy, which is intensive but effective in helping them to regain the best possible level of function.
Another aspect of short term rehab to consider is wound care. Through a short term rehab facility, patients can learn how to take care of their own wound management as they continue in the recovery process.
A health care professional can provide proper instructions for either a patient or caregiver. They will consider areas such as the nature of the wound, the health of the patient, and healing progression.
It’s also crucial to have items such as gloves, a cleansing agent, and proper dressing material such as gauze, medical tape, moisture-retentive dressing, gel covering.
If you already know that a short term care facility will be needed for yourself or a loved one, there are a few things to consider as you search for the right place.
You can begin the process by making a complete list of options in your area. As you’re making your list, consider if the facility specializes in the area of recovery such as joint replacement or stroke.
Once you have a list, you’ll want to research each for both quality and reputation. For example, Medicare’s website offers a comparison tool that includes ratings as well as inspection and staffing reports.
Lastly, consider the financial aspects of a short term rehab facility. This will include looking at overall costs and insurance coverage, if available.
Once you’ve gone through these steps, make sure you schedule appointments for in-person visits before you make a final decision.
If you’re ready to talk with someone about your short term care needs, reach out to Rehab Select to discover if one of our four facilities might be a good fit for you or a loved one.
