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Why Seniors Might Need Short-Term Rehabilitation

young female physiotherapist working with a senior male patient

Your doctor may recommend a stay in a short-term rehabilitation center if you’re recovering from an illness, accident or surgery.

For seniors, returning home right away may be too overwhelming, even for those with strong support networks. As we age, it becomes more important to spend the proper time recovering strength and health after experiencing a medical issue. The expert care in short-term rehabilitation at a senior living community offers a medically supervised transition from the hospital or clinic to a more comfortable environment.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of short-term rehabilitation at a Life Plan Community like Lake Forest Place.

A Little Bit About Short-Term Rehabilitation

Short-term rehabilitation centers provide therapies and care 24 hours a day, seven days a week for those recovering from an accident or medical procedure, eliminating the need for long hospitalization. Short-term rehab facilities or centers usually accommodate patients for a few weeks, although stays can be as short as a few days or as long as 100 days (which is the limit that Medicare and many private insurers place on coverage).

Senior living communities recognize that older adults can be vulnerable to serious medical complications even after they leave the hospital. To respond promptly to setbacks or emergencies, short-term rehabilitation is staffed by medical personnel, including nurses and doctors, 24 hours a day.

Who Is Short-Term Rehabilitation Right For?

Whether or not you should spend time in short-term rehabilitation depends on your doctor’s recommendation. However, many common medical conditions can be addressed by a stay in short-term rehabilitation, including:

  • Surgery: As we age, even minor surgery can require extra recovery efforts. The medical professionals in short-term rehab are equipped to provide this type of care and support seniors’ healthy recovery.
  • Heart surgery: This is decidedly not minor surgery. If you’ve suffered from heart failure, you’ll need professionals to monitor and manage your symptoms after being discharged from the hospital. While you receive supportive physical therapy and nutritional management at a short-term rehab center, the medical staff will be close by to ensure your recovery progresses as planned.
  • Joint replacement: The knee and hip are two of the most common joints to be replaced in aging adults. The benefits of physical therapy include strengthening muscles, improving circulation, and reducing pain and complications. Short-term rehab provides support therapy on site to ensure a seamless recovery following joint replacement.
  • Respiratory illness: It can be frightening and difficult to cope with respiratory ailments such as pneumonia. A short-term rehabilitation center can help you regain your respiratory function by providing pulmonary rehabilitative services and breathing therapies.

Short-term rehabilitation can provide the care needed to return you to your highest potential of health and function – from physical therapy after an injury or surgery, to occupational therapy to enable you to perform everyday tasks, to speech therapy to help restore your communication or swallowing skills.

The 3 Key Advantages of Short-Term Rehabilitation for Seniors

Most Life Plan Communities offer short-term rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation.

The atmosphere in short-term rehabilitation is welcoming and warm.

The clinical environment of a hospital can be discomforting to seniors after even a short stay. In contrast to traditional hospitals, short-term rehabilitation centers are designed to be more comfortable and welcoming. For many seniors, staying in short-term rehab is a welcome transition between hospital and home.

Short-term rehab teams are nearby at all times.

Recovery is typically faster and smoother after a stay in short-term rehabilitation, where dedicated care teams provide expert care precisely when it’s needed. Consider a situation that’s not life-threatening and doesn’t require long-term care, but just a shorter stay. Compared to recovering at home or in a hospital, rehabilitation at Lake Forest Place offers the added convenience of higher levels of care, should they be required.

Explore Short-Term Rehabilitation with Presbyterian Homes.

At Lake Forest Place, we offer independent living and a full continuum of care, including assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation and respite care.

Think that you or someone you love might need a short-term rehabilitation stay sometime soon? Click here to learn how a Life Plan Community like Lake Forest Place can help.