Rehab at home or a facility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless he can afford a 24/7 caregiver, a good facility 100%. Do your research on the quality of the facilities in your area and request ones that are good. It will be a battle to get the hospital to approve rehab, though. Many hire a patient advocate for this. It’s based on the PT and OT assessment, and they will always assess the patient as ready to go home.

You should be able to get the rehab to visit them in the hospital, but they do need a doctor's order for rehab. If he has Medicare, you can appeal a discharge you think is unsafe, but pay attention to the deadlines and how to do it. They should have given you a paper about it.

[Anonymous]

Based on my experience, another positive aspect of going to an inpatient facility is it gives you time to figure out how to set up the home, obtain necessary equipment, etc. Caregivers at the hospitcal can give advice on this as well. This was at an inpatient rehab (3 hours a day).

[Anonymous]

At Home can wreak relationships. People are, or may be, out of their minds with pain. Any age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an OT, I work in a hospital. Snfs are notorious for being understaffed because they are extremely difficult working conditions. Therapists have to see up to 10-12 patients in an 8 hour work day and have to document and discuss w co workers. And nurses have way too many patients assigned. Just giving you perspective so these employees aren’t coming across as lazy or uncaring if they don’t spend a ton of time with your loved on. Burn out levels are high. But if you can’t provide the assistance needed for transfers and daily activities, they need to be in a facility. I find many family members underestimate how much strength it will take to get their loved ones out of bed, to a toilet, dress them, etc. a hip fx is very high risk of falling again if not monitored and assisted

Thanks for your perspective and for the work you do! The bolded is really key. Unless people can afford to hire 24-7, trained caregivers, very few families can accomplish the bolded at home. I had to tell my mom's hospital social worker that, no, she couldn't rehab in our home in part because I have an old back injury and physically cannot help her transfer, etc. She seemed taken aback, but didn't press me on it.