After a hospitalization, your doctor may recommend a stay at a subacute rehabilitation facility. Usually subacute rehabilitation refers to programs developed to provide inpatient rehabilitation to patients following their hospital stays.  programs are designed for individuals who are discharged from the hospital but are not yet ready to return home.

A subacute rehabilitation facility provides short term nursing and rehabilitation care to assist you or your loved one. They provide therapy and assistance to patients recuperating from a hospital stay, so they can return to their previous lifestyle. These communities provide a high level of supervision, 24 hour nursing care, various rehabilitation programs (physical, occupational and speech) and often specialized programs targeted toward a higher level of care for certain medical conditions (i.e. cardiology, diabetes and others). These programs, in addition to other activities targeting patient interaction, will assist the patient in attaining the highest level of physical, social and emotional well-being.

Choosing a rehabilitation facility can and should be planned ahead of time when you or a loved one is facing an elective operation. A rehabilitation facility may also be recommended after an unexpected hospital stay to assist the patient with a plan of care to assist them to return to their previous lifestyle.  It is also a good idea to investigate rehabilitation facilities in your area, especially if you have an elder loved one, as there are often unexpectedly hospitalizations. When the person is discharged it is better to be ready with the name of the facility you would want them transferred to rather than scrambling at the last minute. Planning a visit to rehabilitation communities is important to allow you to evaluate all options and to make a fully informed decision.

In some situations you may receive a recommendation from the social worker in the hospital at time or discharge however most of the time they will simply provide you with a list of rehabilitation communities in the area. It is not unusual for your doctor or the social worker at the hospital to defer recommendation of one facility over another, whether it is because they want to remain objective or they simply haven’t done the research on all of them in the area. You need to remember the choice is always yours.  It is important you are part of the decision whether it is for yourself or a loved one.