The end result of hip replacement procedures for the majority of patients are less pain, greater mobility and improved quality-of-life, but those benefits do not appear instantly. These are very serious surgeries, and recovery and rehabilitation afterwards are a process that requires quite a bit of time and hard work. If you will be having this surgery and are interested in getting through that process as quickly and successfully as possible, a stay in short term rehab after your procedure can help you do just that.
What Is Short Term Rehab?
Short term rehab programs offer clients the opportunity to recover and rehabilitate in an inpatient setting after serious medical events. Services are provided according to the specific needs of each client and typically include medical care, nursing care, pain management, nutritional care and counseling, along with rehabilitative therapies that include physical, occupational and speech therapy. Inpatient rehab is an option that is often used as transitional care for patients who are being discharged from the hospital, but don't feel prepared to fend for themselves at home, or as a means of minimizing recovery time while maximizing rehabilitation results.
How Can Short Term Rehab Improve Your Recovery?
Typically, people who have hip replacement surgery are offered three basic options to assist them in recovering from their procedure: outpatient rehabilitation services, home-based rehab programs or inpatient short term rehab. Choosing inpatient rehab can improve your recovery, helping you regain function and independence more safely, quickly and efficiently than you might with outpatient or home-based therapy.
Inpatient rehab centers offer a comprehensive and intensive approach to care and therapy, with clients receiving services from a well-coordinated, physician-led team of rehabilitative specialists. Upon admission, that multidisciplinary team collaborates to provide each individual in their care with a thorough evaluation of current health and function, which is then used to formulate a personalized treatment plan. Treatment plans are intensive, with clients provided with a minimum of three hours of therapy daily over a minimum of five days per week. Between therapy sessions, clients have access to rehabilitative equipment, facilities and staff to work towards their own rehabilitation and recovery goals.
In contrast, people who receive their rehabilitative services through outpatient clinics or via home-based services generally see therapists two or three days per week for an hour or two. Between sessions they are generally expected to carry out assigned exercises and activities at home, on their own. Additionally, these rehabilitation options generally cannot offer access to the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities commonly found in good inpatient rehab facilities.
Given these important differences in the level of care inpatient short term rehab programs can offer, it is no surprise that research has shown that hip replacement patients discharged to rehabilitation facilities after surgery experienced the most functional improvement as compared to other common post-surgery treatment options. So, if making your best recovery as quickly as possible is your goal, an inpatient short term rehab program is very likely to be your best option for achieving it.
