After a stay in the hospital, many people need additional time to recover from an illness, injury, surgery or other trauma. Rehab facilities can provide tailored care and support to help people regain as much physical function as possible.
Older adults in particular can benefit from rehabilitative care, also called post-acute care or medical rehabilitative care. It’s a key service offered by skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and home health care services.
Read on for all you need to know about post-acute medical rehabilitation services for seniors and how to find the best situation for a loved one who needs this specialized care.
Why Seniors Might Need Rehab Services
Post-acute medical rehabilitation facilities — not to be confused with substance abuse treatment centers that are also referred to as “rehab” — offer a host of supportive care services for people after they’ve been treated in a hospital for an acute illness or incident. Common events that may lead to the need for medical rehab include:
— Frequent falls, or falls that lead to broken bones or dislocated joints
— Stroke
— Surgery, such as for joint replacement
— Severe infections, such as pneumonia
— Degenerative medical conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease
— Heart attack or other cardiovascular events
— Complications of osteoporosis and arthritis
— Cancer treatment
[READ: How to Recover From Surgery]
The Rehab Services Seniors Need
The goal of short-term rehab for seniors is to improve their mobility and the dexterity needed to perform activities of daily living, including toileting, bathing and meal preparation, and regain as much independence as possible after an adverse health event. Specialized therapies at these facilities commonly include:
— Physical therapy to help seniors regain mobility, strength and flexibility after surgery
— Occupational therapy to help seniors regain fine motor skills, such as hand dexterity and cognitive function after a stroke
— Speech therapy to help seniors improve language capabilities, cognitive performance and the ability to swallow, for example after a stroke
— Other medications and therapies to help manage pain and improve overall function and independence.
[READ: Understanding the Different Senior Care Options.]
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Post-Acute Care Options
In many cases, the hospital will make a referral to a local inpatient rehabilitation facility or to therapists and caregivers who can provide in-home services on an outpatient basis.
Inpatient rehab
This type of care, provided in a facility, is ideal for seniors who need round-the-clock care. It typically includes:
— Skilled nursing care if needed
— Daily physical, occupational and/or speech therapy to regain mobility and independence
— Assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing
— Balanced meals
— Counseling services
Outpatient rehab
This type of care, in which seniors visit a facility to meet with a therapist or caregiving team a few times per week as needed, is best for seniors with less acute care needs. In some instances, the therapist will administer treatment at the patient’s residence. These appointments continue until the patient has completed the course of treatment.
When deciding between inpatient and outpatient rehab, it’s important to listen to the advice of your loved one’s medical provider. There may be a specific reason one or the other approach is more appropriate. Some factors to consider:
— Whether your loved one needs help with activities of daily living. If your loved one is unable to use the toilet, bathe, dress, prepare meals or otherwise take care of their daily needs because of a disability related to their hospital stay, moving to an inpatient facility may be a better option.
— Whether your loved one is safe at home. For example, if they’re at risk of falling and might reinjure themselves back at home, moving to an inpatient facility is probably best.
— How long the rehab process is expected to last. Treatment duration depends entirely on the health needs of the senior; for less intensive conditions, such as minor surgery, a short-term stay in an inpatient facility or a short course of outpatient rehab may work well. For longer courses of treatment, such as for chronic conditions, it might make sense to spend a longer time in an inpatient facility.
— Whether your loved one has adequate support at home. If your loved one lives alone, spending some time in an inpatient facility after a hospital stay might help them regain the skills and stamina needed to return home.
In some situations, a senior might spend some time in an inpatient facility before transferring to an outpatient rehab scenario. Depending on the facility, both short- and long-term rehabilitation options might be available, and you can work with your loved one’s medical provider to determine the best approach.
[READ: Senior Home Care: Services, Costs and Tips for Aging in Place]
How to Find the Best Rehab Near Me
As with any senior care options, it’s important to do some research and ask lots of questions before committing to a specific facility or care provider.
Particularly if you’re selecting a nursing home or a skilled nursing facility that will provide inpatient rehabilitative services, you should consider a range of needs, services and conditions before agreeing to enroll your loved one there.
Families can be confident they’re making a good choice by focusing on several key factors, according to Stacey Eisenberg, a senior care expert and owner of A Place At Home — North Austin home care and placement in Round Rock, Texas. Those include:
— Credentials and certifications. Ensure the provider or facility is licensed, bonded and insured. “This shows an adherence to safety standards and legal protection,” Eisenberg says.
— Experience and specialization. A facility that caters to people with the same condition as your loved one will likely provide a higher level of care than a more generalized facility. “Look for experienced providers and facilities that offer specialized care for those living with complex or chronic conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or those needing postoperative care,” Eisenberg says.
— Personalized care plans. Most facilities and providers will create personalized care plans based on the unique needs of the individual, and they’ll review and update that care plan as the person’s needs evolve. But it never hurts to ask upfront how the facility or provider plans to help your loved one transition from hospital care to more independent living.
— Affordability. If your loved one is expected to need post-acute care for longer than Medicare will cover it, how much will that care cost and how will you pay for it? Eisenberg recommends looking for providers who accept Medicare or your loved one’s other insurance plan if they have one. You can also look for a facility that accepts long-term care insurance if your loved one has one of those policies. Community financial assistance may also be available, she notes.
— Reviews. Lastly, check online reviews for client feedback, but take them with a grain of salt. Also ask your loved one’s medical provider where they would place their own elderly loved one.
You’ll likely have limited time to make the initial post-hospital discharge decision, so if you have an elderly loved one who may need rehabilitative care due to a known medical condition or planned surgery, such as a joint replacement, it may make sense to keep critical information about what the options are and how to find a good facility at the ready. Doing a little research in advance can help when a crisis arises.
Paying for Senior Rehab
Senior rehab can get expensive, especially if it’s used long-term. The good news is that Medicare offers some coverage.
“Medicare Part A does not cover long-term care, but it will cover a short-term stay in a rehabilitation facility if you’ve been discharged from a hospital. That is part of your Part A hospital coverage,” explains Chris Orestis, a Maine-based senior care advocate and expert in retirement, long-term care and specialty senior living funding solutions. He serves as president of retirement consultancy Retirement Genius.
Kelsey Simasko, an attorney with Simasko Law in Mount Clemens, Michigan, adds that Medicare is willing to cover the cost of rehab in a nursing home for 20 days.
Medicare, in addition to supplemental insurance, will pay for a further 80 days of rehab, with some caveats, Simasko adds.
“To be approved for rehab, the patient must be consistently improving. If they decline or plateau, rehab days are turned off,” she explains. “Once those rehab days run out, Medicare will no longer cover the individual’s care, and any more time the individual stays in the nursing facility is private pay.”
If that happens, you may need to turn to Medicaid to pick up the bill for the nursing home long-term care, Simasko says.
You can also pay out of pocket for senior rehab, whether it’s provided on an inpatient or outpatient basis.
Costs for this kind of care vary widely depending on several factors, including:
— Location
— Services provided
— Inpatient vs. outpatient setting
Ultimately, rehab services can help your loved one recover quickly and safely after being discharged from the hospital. For best results, consider their needs and budget as well as their doctor’s feedback when planning next steps.
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Senior Rehab: Find the Best Care After a Hospital Stay originally appeared on usnews.com
