Better to Recover at Home, or in Short-Term Rehabilitation?

A hospital stay is stressful enough for an older patient and their family without the worry of what happens after being released.

Asking the right questions before discharge will help you determine whether to plan for rehab services via home health care or a short-term stay in a senior living community. Here’s what to know about short-term rehabilitation and home health care when deciding the best course for recovery.

Who Qualifies for Home Health Care?

After a hospital stay, home health care is available to individuals who meet specific criteria. Generally, patients who require ongoing medical care, such as wound care, physical therapy or help with managing chronic conditions, qualify for home health care. To be eligible, patients must be considered “homebound,” meaning that leaving home requires considerable effort and is limited to medical appointments or essential services. Additionally, a physician must prescribe home health care, outlining the need for services like skilled nursing, therapy or assistance with daily activities. Insurance plans, including Medicare, often cover these services if the medical needs meet the outlined criteria, ensuring that patients receive the support they need during recovery without needing to return to a healthcare facility.

If you’re caring for someone needing rehabilitation, start discharge planning as early as possible – before they’re ready to leave the hospital – so you have time to research options for in-home assistance and determine whether services will be covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Also remember, home health aides may only be available for eight hours a day, and depending on the type of care needed, that may be insufficient for your or your loved one’s needs.

What Is Short-Term Rehabilitation?

For more intense rehabilitation needs following surgery or treatment of an injury or illness in the hospital, a doctor may prescribe short-term rehab care. This can include physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy administered by trained therapists or health aides or, especially if wound care is involved, skilled nursing care.

Short-term rehab is common for older patients who have lost physical and functional abilities due to a stroke, heart attack, joint replacement or hip fracture. Depending on the level and type of care needed, your doctor may recommend either a senior living community or a rehab hospital.

For seniors in the Tampa area, Freedom Plaza offers senior rehabilitation customized to your needs in the comfort of a residential setting Everything from private suites and chef-prepared meals (including guest meals) to 24/7 care are available with rehabilitation treatment plans. In fact, our rehabilitation care was awarded.

What to Ask Before Leaving the Hospital

The discharge process varies from hospital to hospital, and how much caregivers are included varies as well. Here are a few questions to ask to ensure the best care is being arranged for you or your loved one:

• What kind of care is needed after release from the hospital?
• What prescriptions are needed, if any? (Many patients have medication errors after leaving the hospital, so double-check that new prescriptions are being compared to current meds.)
• Will any specific equipment or services be needed? What is covered by insurance or Medicare/Medicaid?
• If home health care is recommended, who coordinates with the provider?
• Who can I call with questions?
• When is the follow-up medical appointment?

Every situation is unique, but talking with your doctor and researching your options is always where you should start to make sure rehab recovery is successful.

What About Cost?

While home health care is generally less expensive than services provided in a rehabilitation center, costs vary by location and, most importantly, by individual rehabilitation needs. There are additional costs to consider, as well, before thinking that in-home services will save you the most money. Consider the potential need for transportation to follow-up appointments or assistance with the activities of daily living like cooking, cleaning and getting ready each day. Home health aides don’t typically help with household chores, nor do they provide 24/7 care, so if those are needed, the cost of in-home care can start to add up. Even simple tasks can make recovery difficult, so it’s important to consider where recovery will be the most successful for you.

Award-Winning Care at Freedom Plaza

With for you to recover after a hospital stay. For more information about post-hospital care options, including short-term rehab, contact us at Freedom Plaza today.