Rehabilitation Nursing Homes and Rehab Centers: Where to Recover After a Hospital Stay

Rehabilitation programs in nursing homes help individuals recovering from illness, injury, or a hospital stay. Residents of rehab programs in nursing homes can receive 24-hour skilled nursing oversight, on-site medical care services, and access to a variety of on-site therapists.

Rehab care services at a skilled nursing home may include:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Other specialized rehab therapies like cardiac, respiratory, or orthopedic
• Social and psychological programs and therapies

Residents at skilled nursing facilities typically receive rehab therapies for an average of one to two hours per day. They will also receive meals and help with their activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, bathing, and using the restroom.

Staff at these facilities include certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists, among other specialists. Once health care staff evaluate the patient’s health and rehab goals, they’ll develop a care plan. The plan outlines the type of rehab services a person needs and how often they’ll receive them.

Rehab at a skilled nursing facility may be partially or fully covered by Medicare, depending on how long a person needs rehab care. Medicare coverage may include a shared room, meals, medications, skilled nursing care, and different types of therapies. To be eligible for Medicare coverage, the patient must enter the facility within 30 days of being discharged after a hospital stay that lasted at least three days.^[01]

Rehab centers are facilities that provide rehabilitative services to people recovering from illness or injury. They can be inpatient or outpatient. Inpatient rehab centers are often located on or near a hospital campus. These centers offer the same rehab services found at skilled nursing facilities, including nursing care and a variety of physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Inpatient rehab centers on hospital campuses often focus on acute care for those who need more complex and intensive treatments, like cardiac rehab.

For example, seniors who’ve had a stroke, traumatic injuries, surgeries, and amputations may need intensive, daily therapy for a successful recovery. Inpatient rehab centers offer a minimum of three hours of therapies daily, six days a week, to promote a recovery that’s fast but safe.

Those who complete rehab at inpatient rehab centers often have shorter stays than those who choose rehab at skilled nursing facilities. A typical stay at an inpatient rehab center at a hospital ranges from 10 to 35 days. Stays of 24 to 60 days are common at skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehab centers both offer meals, personal care, and assistance with daily activities.

Short-term stays at inpatient rehab centers may be covered by Medicare, but there may be a deductible. Medicare coverage might include shared rooms, meals, medications, nursing care, and different therapies.^[02]

Let our care assessment guide you

When you’re trying to choose the right rehab option, it’s important to discuss rehab goals and needs with a doctor. A patient’s care team in the hospital will often take the lead in deciding which facility will be the best fit and will offer families a few options.

Here are some important factors to consider before choosing between a skilled nursing home and rehab center for rehabilitative needs after illness, injury, or a hospital stay:

• Program availability. All rehab locations have limitations on the amount of people they can serve. Sometimes, staffing and availability are the biggest factors in choosing rehab care. You will want a place with a plentiful staff-to-resident ratio.
• Program intensity. Programs at skilled nursing and rehab centers differ in intensity. Programs will be slower and gentler if the patient is in poor health or has difficulty with the pain that accompanies rehab. Talk to the doctor overseeing the care plan about the types of therapies needed and what local facilities offer.
• Length of stay. If the patient is motivated and determined to return home as soon as possible, then they might want more intensive therapies at a hospital rehab center. Though more difficult, this often means a shorter program and a shorter stay in a rehab facility.
• Access to physicians and specialists. Individuals with complex rehabilitation needs may benefit from daily access to a physician and different specialists available at an inpatient rehab center. In contrast, patients in skilled nursing facilities typically only see a physician one to three times a week.
• Costs and coverage. If a recuperating patient is eligible for full or partial Medicare coverage in either a skilled nursing facility or rehab center, a deductible may still be required.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

Yes, senior care communities, like assisted living, often offer on-site, short-term rehab services to seniors in need of rehabilitation after illness, injury, or a hospital stay. On-site care may include physical therapy after surgery or injury or skilled nursing care to recover from an illness.^[03]

Rehabilitation services offered in assisted living facilities will vary, however. Some senior care communities have an attached skilled nursing unit offering a variety of on-site rehabilitation services. Other communities only offer minimal levels of rehab support. They instead focus on providing long-term care and support with ADLs to help residents maintain their current abilities.

After time in a rehab center, some seniors may need to transition to an assisted living community for long-term care support, especially if they still need assistance with ADLs. If they don’t want to enter an assisted living facility, there are also home care options after surgery that may be covered by either Medicaid or Medicare.

While the goal of rehab is to help your loved one return to their previous level of independence, you might find out that that journey doesn’t end with their stay in rehab. Your loved one may be asked to continue doing physical therapy exercises at home, or they may need some extra help around the house after completing their stay in a skilled nursing facility. Home care can make this time easier.

A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors can help you find home care services in your area to help keep the house clean or assist with personal care tasks as recovery progresses. Our advisors take all care needs and budgets into account, then make recommendations of agencies in your area. And best of all, this service comes at no cost to you or your family.