What Happens in Post Acute Rehab?

Post acute rehab, as the name suggests, is a temporary living situation for patients who are just finished acute care. These patients have usually undergone a major surgical process or have otherwise suffered a medical crisis such as a heart attack. The goal of the post acute rehab is to provide an environment where the patient can continue to recover outside of the acute atmosphere of the hospital and before they are ready to go back home.

Why post acute rehab

There are several ways that a post acute rehab program can be enormously beneficial to a patient in recovery. 

  1. The patient has complete care when she’s in a facility. Going straight home after hospitalization can be quite taxing on a patient, and full time care from a caregiver can be difficult to arrange and challenging for one person to accomplish. In a facility, the patient has a clean and comfortable room and bed and the dedicated care of a staff of well-trained nurses, 24/7. In many cases the cost is covered by your insurance for some period of time, so it doesn’t even cost the patient extra money.
  2. The patient can receive the gamut of therapies he needs to help in the rehabilitation effort on an in-patient basis. Many facilities offer a large array of advanced therapies in addition to standard therapies of speech, physical and occupational. He doesn’t have to schlep out to day care centers or appointments and still receives the highest level of care.
  3. The patient can benefit from a multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses. While the patient is recovering, he will be visited daily for many specialists who can all weigh in on his progress and offer recommendations for improvements. Each doctor has another angle to monitor the patient’s care, and the team meets to coordinate best care practices for the patients quick and solid recovery. 

The process of entering and exiting post acute rehab

Hospitals have only so many beds, and they keep them open for patients who are exhibiting symptoms and need immediate care to get well. As soon as the patient is stable enough to leave, hospitals need to move them out to make space for new patients. The logical next step is a post acute rehab facility, and hospitals have natural alliances with facilities close by who can the next step needs of the patient. It’s simple to register at a facility and make arrangements for medical transport services. The facility will do an intake of the patient’s medical history to determine a care and treatment plan for the patient’s stay that includes medical needs, therapies, and nutritional needs.

The daily regimen

The morning begins with medication and dressing. The patient then has breakfast, and usually goes to occupational therapy. The doctors often make their rounds around then, and then the patient will return to his room for lunch and resting. The afternoon brings more therapy sessions, perhaps speech, and then there’s dinner and relaxation time. Visitors may arrive, and the facility often offers fun activities for patients in a communal area.

At Sinai Post Acute Care Center for Rehabilitation, we provide excellent post acute rehab for patients coming out of the hospital who need extra time to recover. Our modern facility and caring staff can help you get home well and fast.