Acute Rehabilitation
If you have a severe injury or condition such as a stroke, hip fracture or Parkinson’s disease, you might need rehabilitation before you can safely go back to your normal life and activities. Your doctor may recommend acute rehab if they think your health will improve with an intense rehab program.
Acute rehab, sometimes called inpatient rehab, may take place in a hospital or stand-alone facility. You receive rehab services at least three hours a day and five days a week, and are supervised 24/7 by specially trained doctors and nurses. Treatment plans may include neurological treatments, orthotic/prosthetic services, psychological services, and physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Many skilled nursing and long-term acute care programs also provide rehab services, but rehabilitation at an acute rehab facility is the main focus of your stay. You also generally spend fewer days in acute rehab than in skilled nursing and long-term acute care facilities.
Choosing an Acute Rehabilitation Facility
Ask your doctor to recommend a facility they work with. The ideal facility should be:
- experienced in treating your condition
- covered by your insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid
- clean, safe and comfortable
- staffed by a team of expert doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers who work together for your treatment
- able to provide a smooth transition of care to continued outpatient rehab services
- accredited by organizations such as CARF and The Joint Commission
- certified by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide the treatments and services you need
Additional Resources
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF): www.carf.org