6 Things You Need to Know About Rehabilitation in a Skilled Nursing Facility

Many times you learn of a parent's medical crisis from an unexpected phone call. The change in your parent's health and abilities sets in motion a journey for both you, as caregiver, and your parent through the health care system. During a hospitalization, you learn the realities of elder medical care. Hospital stays are much shorter, and your parent most likely will detour through a skilled nursing facility before returning home.

Here are some tips to help navigate a rehabilitation stay in a skilled nursing facility:

1. Hospital stays are minimized. When your parent no longer needs medically necessary services in a hospital environment, he will be discharged due to Medicare restrictions. If your parent has been hospitalized for a minimum of 3 days, the doctor may write orders for rehabilitative services in a skilled nursing facility.


2. A rehabilitation stay provides your parent with a daily regimen of therapies such as: Physical therapy, Occupational therapy and Speech therapy.


3. Speak with the doctor early in the week about his plans for your parent's discharge. The worst days to transfer to a skilled nursing facility are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, because therapies are normally scheduled Monday through Friday.


4. It is likely that your parent will need visits from you more when he is in the skilled nursing facility than he did when he was in the hospital. Although the nursing home resembles a hospital in both form and function, it does not provide the same level of care or have the manpower to answer all those calls for assistance quickly.


5. Nursing homes are in the business of making money. Even non-profit facilities expect to cover cost of care and have money to reinvest. Rehabilitative stays are quite lucrative for skilled nursing homes.


6. Make sure the facility you or the hospital social worker selects is certified by Medicare.

Continual communication with the hospital admitting doctor, social worker and the doctor in charge of your parent's rehabilitation helps ensure that your parent's needs and desires are remembered and followed. Even when you try your hardest to take care of all the issues that pop up, you will sometimes feel inadequate. Try to let go of any regrets and give yourself kudos for doing your best to support your parent when he needs you most.