If your senior has had a recent illness, injury, or surgery, they may need to stay at a senior rehabilitation center before returning back home or to senior living. With so many options, it can be tough to find the right rehab center for seniors. If you have never had a senior stay in a rehabilitation center, you may not know what to expect or the right questions to ask before you choose a facility.
Choosing the Right Rehab Center for Seniors
Typically a senior will stay in a rehab center for short-term while they recover from various health issues. There is a variety of therapy and nursing services your senior may receive. When you know what to look for in a rehab center, you can give yourself or your senior peace of mind knowing you chose the best rehab center for your senior.
Determine Length of Stay
Sometimes a senior will need to stay at a rehab center for just a short amount of time. For minor surgeries, you may need to stay at a rehab center from anywhere from a couple days up to a month. For more serious conditions, for example, cardiac conditions, you may need to stay in a rehab facility for a couple months.
Be sure that when you are choosing a facility, you understand that some centers will offer both types of care, but others may specialize in one type of care over the other. The length of stay will be a determining factor in choosing the right rehab center for seniors.
The Right Specialists
When finding the right rehab center for seniors, it is important to make sure that the community you choose has the specialists your senior needs. Be sure that they have physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and case managers.
Together, this team of specialists should work with you and your senior to create an individualized treatment plan. Make sure that the facility you choose is certified by the Joint Commission (formerly known as JCHAO, or the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities).
Schedule a Visit
When determining the right rehab center for seniors, it is important you visit one or more centers before making your decision. When you actually tour the facility, you will get the chance to see patient rooms, common areas, dining area and food options, and more.
Make sure you talk with your senior and ask them about the things that matter to them. Will they feel uncomfortable sharing a room if they are ill or recovering or would they prefer the company? What type of food does the facility offer? Do they offer a changing menu with healthy options or unappetizing rations of sustenance?
Talk with the other residents to find out how they like their stay or if they have any complaints. Would they recommend the facility to one of their loved ones?
Experience Check
When evaluating a rehabilitation center, make sure they have experience treating the specific medical condition that your senior has. Make sure that the staff that will be working with your senior is trained and qualified in their respective practices.
Ask the staff about your senior’s personalized care plan, and a little about the recovery process, including rehabilitation and therapy. They should be able to provide information about those things if they are experienced in caring for the same condition your senior has.
Does the rehab center have satisfaction surveys or reviews that you can take a look at? You may want to look at any statistics they have regarding outcomes. Another important question to ask is what percentage of patients are sent home after care. This can indicate how effective the rehab center is at returning seniors to their highest level of function.
Putting It All Together
Finding the right rehab center for seniors can be a tough task but if you know what to look for and what questions to ask, you can ease your concerns. Here are the key takeaways to ensure that you are choosing the right rehab center for seniors:
- Determine how long your senior will need to be in a rehabilitation center.
- Make sure the facility is accredited by the Joint Commission (formerly JCHAO).
- Make sure staff members are qualified and trained in their respective practices.
- Make sure you tour rehab centers, visiting private and shared living spaces, dining areas, and ask staff members any questions you may have.
- Make sure the rehab center has experience treating the specific condition that you or your senior has.
