Rehab Care Versus Nursing Home: Which Option Suits You?
Do you have an elderly loved one recovering from a severe injury, illness, or surgery? Then they may need rehabilitation services. Essentially, rehab care helps to regain physical strength, mobility, and cognitive functions. One has the option of selecting rehab care in a nursing home or a rehab center. Although both facilities have positive health outcomes, they may differ in the modality and intensity of service delivery. This post analyses the key features of the two rehab care options.
Nursing Home vs. Rehab Center
A nursing home is an assisted living facility for the elderly. The facility offers medical care to older people who require rehabilitation services after being discharged from a hospital. In comparison, an inpatient rehab center is a specialized hospital unit that focuses on rehabilitation services for patients of different ages.
Rehabilitation Services
Both nursing homes and rehab centers offer rehabilitation services to people recovering from medical conditions and injuries. The following are the main types of rehab care services offered:
- Occupational therapy
- Orthopedic rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Psychological services
- Social services
- Speech therapy
However, the intensity of the treatment varies between the two facilities. At a nursing home, the elderly patients could have a therapy session lasting one to two hours a day. In comparison, the seniors at a rehab center would undergo an intensive recovery program. This intensity promotes faster recovery.
Medical Practitioners
The staff at both facilities are medical practitioners. Such professionals include nurses, nursing assistants, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists. Significantly, the staff is certified and registered with medical boards as healthcare service providers. Typically, the engagement between the patients and the practitioners begins with an assessment of the rehabilitation goals. Then, the staff develops a care plan that considers the needs of the patients and families.
Assisted Living Services
In addition to medical therapy, rehab care involves assisted living services. In this case, the patients in the two facilities receive 24 hours assistance with daily living. Usually, the support includes physical assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, and toilet activities. However, the level of personal care depends on individual needs.
Duration of Stay
In both facilities, patients have to move in for the duration of the treatment. However, the duration of stay differs. Typically, the average length of stay at a nursing home is longer compared to stay in a rehab center. The extended stay in a nursing home is because the focus is to provide long-term care rather than transitioning a patient back to home life. Notably, the shorter stay at a rehab center is due to the intensive therapy sessions.
The decision between a nursing home and a rehab center depends on the need of the patient. Thus, consult your doctor and understand the unique features of each rehab care facility. However, the two facilities can work together if a patient transitions from a rehab center to a nursing home.