Short-term rehabilitation: A closer look

The term “short-term rehab” refers to specialized transitional care provided after hospitalization and before the individual is able to resume living independently. Short-term rehabilitation might follow hospitalization for major surgery, significant injury or emergency trauma, or it might be required after a life-threatening injury or illness. You can expect to find continuing medical assistance, help with daily living tasks, emotional and psychological support, and rehabilitation services — all in the interest of recovering independence.

Effective rehab helps a person function again with little or no assistance:

• Move confidently.
• Communicate effectively.
• Self-manage dressing, eating and personal hygiene.

Short-term rehabilitation is usually delivered in a skilled nursing or post-acute care setting. The comprehensive plan for the patient’s recovery includes the individual’s clinical status and personal preferences, and integrates logistics, family and patient education, and the health care provider network. Key to the treatment plan is continuity, as the individual moves between levels of care – from more dependent to greater independence.

The length of short-term rehab is likely to be measured in days or weeks, not months. Pain management, rehabilitation and coping with emotional stress all figure prominently in the individual’s progress toward goals of self-determination and independence.

Read more here to help determine if you could benefit from short-term rehab.

For more information about short-term rehab in Benedictine, we invite you to get in touch with us below.