What to Know About Short-Term Rehab

If your parent or loved recently suffered a stroke or broke their hip, it’s very likely they’re going to need some sort of rehabilitation services. You might be confused about all the terms and phrases referring to short-term rehab. Here’s what you need to know:

What is Short-Term Rehab?

Short-term rehabilitation, or rehab for short, provides inpatient therapy and skilled nursing care while your loved recovers. Here at Bridgeway of Bensenville, our rehab program is your bridge to home. Our goal is to help our patients regain their maximum function, and get back to their homes and communities as soon as possible.

To achieve this goal, our patients receive varied therapies—physical, occupational, and speech—from our skilled and compassionate therapists. The rest of the patient’s recovery team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists. They work together and with the patient and his family to develop a personalized care plan.

Who Pays for Short-Term Rehab?

Part A Medicare generally covers up to 100 days of skilled care services. These are services that require skilled nursing and rehabilitative staff in order to be given safely. Medicare has many conditions for covering inpatient rehab. For example, you have to have been in the hospital for at least 3 days before going to the rehab facility.

What’s the Difference Between Acute and Subacute Rehab?

You may have heard these terms, but don’t know what they mean. Acute rehab refers to an intensive, multidisciplinary rehab program. It’s for patients who have sustained serious injuries or disabilities due to trauma or stroke. Patients generally receive three or more hours of therapy a day, five days a week. Subacute rehab is less intensive rehabilitation. It usually involves just one or two hours of therapy a day.

How long does short-term rehab take?

The length of stay in a rehab facility varies greatly. Some people will only need rehab for a few days after recovering from an injury or surgery. Others may be there for weeks or months. A lot of different factors will determine how long you or your loved one will need to stay in the rehab facility. These include the extent of your injuries, your medical condition, your level of cooperation, and your overall health.

To learn more about Bridgeway of Bensenville’s rehabilitation programs, feel free to contact us.