If your mom or dad has had a stroke, surgery or extensive treatment for kidney, heart or respiratory conditions, they may still require senior rehabilitation following their release from the hospital. In fact, doctors often recommend rehab for elderly patients for a variety of conditions because rehab for seniors is one of the most effective ways to get back to a normal life post-surgery.

Specialized rehab therapies can help your loved one reach their best possible outcome. Rehab is available on an inpatient or outpatient basis, and locations may be freestanding, connected to a hospital or part of a Life Plan Community. When rehab is recommended by a doctor after a hospital stay, it’s usually covered by personal health insurance or Medicare.

According to Genworth Financial, in 2017 the cost of a short-term rehab stay in Greenville, SC was $6,798 a month for a semi-private room and $7,330 for a private room. If your loved one has spent at least three days in a hospital for medically necessary care, Medicare will pay for up to 100 days of care immediately following their discharge. However, to qualify, your mom or dad must do their rehab at a Medicare-certified skilled nursing community.

Questions to Ask Your Hospital Discharge Planner

Here are some questions to ask your hospital discharge planner or primary care physician before leaving the hospital. These will help you determine if your mom or dad can stay home alone, needs in-home care or should go to a community that offers senior rehabilitation.

• What therapies will be required?
• What services will health insurance or Medicare pay for?
• Will my loved one need help with dressing or bathing?
• Will my parent need help with cooking and housework?
• Will my loved one be safe at home or will someone need to be with them 24 hours a day?
• What is the average length of recovery time?
• What problems, symptoms and side effects should we watch for?
• What should we do about any potential side effects or problems?
• What does each medicine do, and why is it needed?
• What are the medication dosages, drug interactions and side effects?

Types of Rehabilitation Services for Seniors

• Physical therapy: After an illness, surgery or hospitalization, a rehab care team will work with your loved one, your family and your parent’s doctor to create a personalized plan for the most optimal outcome.
• Occupational therapy: Helps your loved one adapt to their social and physical environments through specialized therapies for getting dressed, memory training and coordination exercises.
• Speech therapy: Addresses communication issues and swallowing dysfunction. Speech and language pathologists design a treatment plan with you and your loved one to help with language ability, provide alternate communication strategies and give appropriate diet recommendations.

Helpful Tips

As you evaluate rehab options in Greenville, SC, here are some helpful tips:

• Reach out to people you trust to be unbiased — friends, family or a physician — for their candid advice and recommendations.
• Check a community’s online reviews, but because personal reviews can be very subjective, it’s important to weigh them with other information you’ve already collected.
• Schedule visits to your top options once you’ve narrowed down your list. As you’re doing this, consider other details, such as how they answer the phone, the time it takes for them to return messages and their overall helpfulness.

Choosing the Right Place to Rehab

If you’d like to learn more about Rolling Green Village in Greenville, SC. and our wide range of rehab for seniors services, or discuss your loved one’s care options, use our contact form or call 864-987-9800.