If your parent or loved one is having surgery or they’ve been in the hospital, it’s likely they’ll be referred to an in-patient rehabilitation center to help them recover. You may be wondering what their stay will be like and how their days will be structured. Regardless of whether they’re in for a few days or a few months, it will include physical and speech therapy, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy and other treatments designed to help them regain their independence to the greatest degree possible.

With so many options for senior rehabilitation available, it can be very difficult to decide on the right option and there aren’t always one-size-fits-all answers to the situation. However, there are some rehabilitation options that almost every senior can benefit from.

Senior rehabilitation centers can offer many opportunities for seniors to receive the services they need, whether for short-term or long-term scenarios. These facilities specialize in providing seniors with healing and rehabilitation services, helping people to recover from health issues in a professional and caring environment. If someone has just had major surgery and needs physical therapy, these rehabilitation centers can provide services without requiring a move into the facility, as they may need to with an assisted living community or nursing home.

Short Term Rehabilitation vs. Long Term Rehabilitation
One of the first things to consider when seeking a senior rehabilitation center is how long someone will need to stay based on their health. For minor health issues like an uncomplicated surgery, doctors may only require a stay of a few days to a month. For other more chronic or serious conditions, the stay in a senior rehabilitation center could last a month or more. Some facilities offer both short and long-term rehabilitation, while others specialize in certain areas.

Senior rehabilitation centers may also be called nursing homes or centers, intermediate care, rest homes, skilled nursing units. If a facility is Medicare-certified, Medicaid-certified or both, it means that participating rehabilitation centers must have licensed practical nurses (LPNs) staffed 24-hours a day, with nurses on duty seven days a week for at least eight hours every day.

Types of Care In Senior Rehabilitation Centers

  • Basic Care — Can include help with the activities involved in day-to-day life, personal care assistance, supervision with medical needs and other procedures.
  • Skilled Care — Registered nurses work to provide basic treatments and procedures, helping to maximize someone’s recovery from illness or surgery.
  • Sub-Acute — Comprehensive care services for seniors to help with acute illnesses, injuries, or an worsening of a chronic condition because of recent health-related events.
Senior rehabilitation centers can include wide variety of services, providing just about every form of rehabilitation that’s needed by senior citizens.

These facilities usually provide physical therapy to help seniors recover from a different health issues. Through specific exercises and techniques, physical therapists help patients reduce pain, improve their strength and balance and gain mobility following surgery or injury.

Similarly, occupational therapy services are typically provided to help patients learn or regain skills important related to carrying out their daily activities. These services can help restore someone’s independence.

This can also include the use of Speech-language Pathology services, which are mainly needed by people who have had a stroke, a serious brain injury, or have a progressive neurological disease. These services may also be useful in helping to regain and improve someone’s ability to eat and drink.

Other things to take advantage of include exercise classes, counseling and personal care services.