It’s always wise to be informed if you ever find yourself hospitalized for a severe surgery or after an accident. In most cases, your doctor will recommend short term rehabilitation to help you receive a more concentrated level of care. This type of care is also referred to as short-term rehab, post-acute care, or post-hospital.
To help you determine whether you need this type of care, we’ll look at the five key parts of post-acute care.
1. Expectation During Short-Term Rehabilitation
The reason for your rehabilitation will determine your experience during post-hospital care. During this period, your daily activities will be determined by your recovery goals and your capabilities. You may find yourself interacting with different caregivers, including physicians, nurses, mental, physical, and speech recovery specialists, nutritionists, and other rehabilitation experts.
At the Arbors, we give you more freedom than you would get in a hospital setting. We want you to be comfortable while you stay with us. We allow this to help restore normality in your life before you get discharged.
2. Length of Your Stay
Although there’s no fixed amount of time of how long you should be in a post-acute care center, many patients stay for four to six weeks. How much time you spend here depends on the severity of your condition. If you require working on more goals or your recovery is taking longer than expected, you can transition to a long-term care plan.
3. Medicare Coverage for Short-Term Rehab
Medicare coverage depends on whether:
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The rehab center is Medicare certified
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You have spent at least three nights at the center in the last 30 days as an in-patient
Additionally, you need a doctor to confirm that you require post-acute care. Once you check-in at a rehab facility, Medicare covers 100 days after which it stops with the assumption that you require another type of care. However, the limit resets if you are healthy for 60 days but then spend at least three nights as an in-patient.
4. Other Types of Coverage
You may use other forms of coverage for your short-term rehabilitation, but that depends on the exact coverage terms. Many commercial insurances and mainstream coverage have no problem covering post-acute care as long as the center is within your network. The type of care required is also a determinant on whether your insurance company will cover you or not.
After an accident or serious surgery, recovery seldom ends at the hospital. Talk to your doctor to determine whether you’re ready to go back to your normal life. If you feel that you are not yet on your feet again, then short-term rehabilitation is your best option.
Spending a few weeks or months under concentrated care of expert caregivers will give you better results than recovering at home. If you’re looking for short-term rehab in Amarillo, Texas, don’t hesitate to contact us at The Arbors. We have a team of skilled caregivers who are dedicated to giving you the best post-hospital care.