Rehab Select Blog

If you have been told that you need rehabilitative therapy to aid in recovering from a medical incident, illness or surgery, or as a means of improving or managing functional deficits or disabilities, chances are you'll have questions about what to expect from this form of treatment. Here, we'll look into that question in regards to outpatient short term rehabilitation programs, giving you an idea of what to expect if you choose outpatient services to meet your rehabilitative needs.

Has your healthcare team suggested that a stay in a short term rehab facility would be the best next step in your care after hospital discharge? If so, you likely have questions about the financial aspects of getting the care you need, and those questions are best dealt with before your admission to prevent unpleasant surprises later. Here, we'll outline what you need to know in terms of insurance considerations for short term rehab.

If you will be transitioning to a short term rehab program after a hospital stay, you are certain to have questions about just what to expect with that change. Among the most frequent concerns for patients making this transition are  how long their rehab stay will be and what will be expected of them as they enter this new and unfamiliar care environment. While specific answers to these questions can only be given on a case-by-case basis, there are some general guidelines that can help give you an idea of what to expect.

Orthopedic rehabilitation is designed for people who are living with disabling limitations—either temporary or permanent—due to orthopedic surgeries, musculoskeletal injuries, bone fracture or trauma, or degenerative joint diseases. Its purpose is to aid these people in regaining function and mobility lost to these medical issues. If such a program has been recommended for you, here are some of the ways it can work to help you feel and function better, getting you back into shape and back to your life.

A good short term rehab program can be of great benefit to patients who have suffered osteoporosis-related injuries. Fractures are the most frequent injuries related to this extremely common disease, and often, they are the first inkling people have that they have been affected by osteoporosis. Fractures related to this bone-thinning disease occur most commonly in the wrist, spine or hip, and recovery can be challenging. Often, recovery is complicated by concerns about further injury, especially in newly diagnosed patients who may be fearful about their condition and patients with advanced bone loss. Rehabilitation therapy can help these patients overcome both the physical and emotional challenges of recovery.

Short term rehab programs can be of great benefit to patients who are recovering from a medical incident, such as injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack, aiding them in recovering strength, function, mobility and independence. These programs can also be of great assistance to people who are suffering with chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes and heart disease, among others, helping them learn to manage these conditions more efficiently and reduce their impact on day-to-day quality of life. If such a program has been recommended for you, here are 2 very important factors in short term rehab success—information that can help you choose the right program to make the most of your rehab experience.

Given today's faster discharge times from acute care hospitals, short term inpatient rehab is often recommended for patients who have had surgery, particularly those who have had joint replacement surgeries, other orthopedic procedures, or cardiac surgery. That's because inpatient rehabilitation therapy can help these patients get back in shape more quickly after surgery than an outpatient routine can.

Have you just had surgery? Are you in the process of working with your health care team, hospital discharge planners, and loved ones to work out what your next steps will be in terms of recovery and rehabilitation? Has inpatient rehabilitation after surgery been recommended for you, or perhaps simply suggested as a good alternative for your post-op care? If so, you may have questions about how short term rehab can benefit you.

If you are in the planning phase of an upcoming joint replacement surgery, you should know that how your recovery and rehabilitation period is handled is extremely important to a successful outcome. For that reason, learning about and carefully planning for that period is as essential to the process as surgical planning is. After all, you'll certainly be anxious to get back on your feet and back to life as quickly as possible. Short term rehab is an important option to consider in terms of helping you do that.

When your life is interrupted by illness or an accident and you need expert rehabilitation services, occupational therapy (OT) can help you regain the life skills necessary to get back to your day-to-day routine and recover your independence. Just as physical therapy helps you regain your range of motion and mobility and cognitive therapy fires up your brain, occupational therapy helps you perform those daily tasks that are seemingly out of reach.