Rehab Select Blog

While it was routine for surgical patients to receive the services they needed to recover before leaving the hospital, today’s shorter hospital stays mean that patients who need post-surgery rehabilitation must plan their recovery separately.  

Moving from the acute care setting of a hospital to a long recovery journey at home can be challenging for many. Transitional care in a short-term inpatient rehab facility helps make this experience less stressful and more fruitful by supporting a patient in regaining strength and functions lost to surgery, injury, or illness as quickly as possible.   

So, what is transition care, why is it important, what can you expect, and how do you choose the right transition care facility for your recovery journey? Here’s what you need to know to maximize the benefits.

When recovering from an accident, illness, or surgery, short-term rehabilitation can provide the appropriate support to help you shorten your recovery timeline, regain independence, and resume your normal activities. Reputable short-term rehab facilities offer the expertise and equipment you need along this journey. 

What should you look for to ensure your short-term rehabilitation program will help you achieve successful outcomes? Let’s review the four characteristics of top short-term rehab facilities. 

If you're recovering from an illness, surgery, or accident, your healthcare provider may recommend short-term rehab services to help you regain independence and facilitate the transition back home. 

Let’s review what short-term rehab services entail and what you may expect from your stay at a short-term rehab facility.

Stroke affects 795,000 people in the United States each year. It’s a leading cause of long-term disability and reduces mobility in more than half of survivors over 65, impacting their mental and physical well-being and quality of life.

A stroke occurs when a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) interrupts or reduces the blood supply to a part of the brain, causing brain cells to die off. Strokes are a leading cause of long-term disability, often leaving survivors with significant physical challenges. 

Stroke occurs when a vessel that supplies blood to the brain ruptures or becomes blocked, starving brain cells of oxygen and resulting in brain damage. It is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting 795,000 people and killing about 140,000 each year.  

The good news is that stroke is preventable, and understanding your personal risk factors will help you make the appropriate lifestyle choices to lower your risk. 

One of the most common side effects after suffering a stroke is difficulty with speech. This can be very frustrating for the stroke victim and can make recovery all that much more difficult. Speech therapy for stroke patients is an essential part of rehab, as it offers individuals the ability to recover the ability to communicate.

Stroke rehabilitation aims to help stroke patients deal with the side effects of a stroke. These side effects may be physical, cognitive, or psychological, and will vary in intensity depending on the severity and location of the stroke. 

You've made it through a stroke. The initial crisis is over. Now it's time to begin the task of dealing with the aftermath — the physical and emotional effects of stroke. While life after stroke is a different experience for every survivor, one thing that you can be sure of is that it will take time to recover. The good news is that with effective therapy after stroke — as well as a great deal of determination, hard work, and patience — you can take your life back, overcoming or adapting to the challenges it brings and moving on to a fulfilling future.