Inpatient rehabilitation facility overview
An inpatient rehabilitation facility provides comprehensive treatments from a variety of rehab professionals. Sometimes inpatient rehabilitation services are offered as part of a specific program that is geared toward treating a certain type of issue. Understanding the types of programs that could be available depending on your needs can help you determine what to look for when searching for an inpatient rehabilitation facility for your loved one. Here are the list of services that the inpatient rehabilitation facility can provide:
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is a very common service that you will find at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. It is a type of rehabilitation that helps you improve movement and manage pain. Physical therapy can help you improve or restore your physical function and your fitness level.
It’s also used to help prevent injury, manage chronic conditions such as arthritis, or recover from surgery. Physical therapists work with people who have any kind of health condition to identify their goals and develop an individualized plan to meet those goals, using treatments like exercises or hands-on techniques like massage.
While commonly seen in an outpatient setting, you will find highly trained physical therapists working in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. These healthcare professionals may have advanced training or certifications in programs that can provide benefits for your situation.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is another common service offered in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Occupational therapists help patients relearn everyday tasks such as dressing, preparing meals and using the bathroom. If your condition has resulted in a loss of motor skills or fine motor control, occupational therapy can be incredibly beneficial for you. These same therapists may also provide vocational training to help with daily functioning once you’re discharged from your stay at the rehab center.
Speech and language pathology services
Speech and language pathology services available in an inpatient rehabilitation facility include:
- Speech therapy to improve difficulty with swallowing.
- Speech therapy to improve difficulty with speaking.
- Speech therapy to improve difficulty with understanding (comprehension). This is also called language-based learning disabilities and includes problems such as receptive language disorder, expressive language disorder and mixed receptive-expressive disorders.
- Speech therapy to improve difficulty with speech sounds (articulation). This includes issues like dyslalia, apraxia and phonological disorders.
- Speech therapy to improve cognitive communication (memory, problem solving), which may be used by patients whose speech impediment is related more strongly to their thinking than their actual words or sentences themselves
Cognitive therapies
Another common type of treatment program found in an inpatient rehabilitation facility is cognitive therapies. Cognitive therapies are used to help people relearn how to think, reason and solve everyday problems. Individuals who have had a brain injury may experience difficulties in thinking, learning new information or problem solving.
The goal of cognitive therapies is to help people learn ways to deal with stress, fears and anxiety while also developing techniques that will help them stay focused on the task at hand. This can include learning relaxation techniques or practicing mindfulness techniques such as meditation or yoga. Other types of cognitive therapies may be provided at the inpatient rehabilitation facility that you’re evaluating.
Psychological counseling
Psychological counseling is the emotional impact of being in the hospital for a long period of time can be devastating for some patients, particularly when it’s compounded by social isolation. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities often employ trained mental health professionals who help their patients cope with these feelings. These counselors aren’t just there to provide advice or tell you how to feel—they actively listen and engage with you as an individual, which can be very helpful in reducing stress and improving your outlook on life.
Recreational therapy and social work services
Recreational therapy and social work services are two additional services that may be offered at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Recreational therapists can help with social skills, emotional well-being and self-esteem through activities such as sports, games, arts and crafts, dance or drama. Social workers can assist patients by offering financial counseling; housing placement; long-term care planning; discharge planning to support independent living once the patient returns home.
Medical care and monitoring
Medical care and monitoring are integrated into the daily activities of your stay at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. The facility usually provides 24/7 emergency medical services. A rehabilitation facility physician oversees the entire care team and works with you and your family to develop a treatment plan that meets your individual needs and goals, including any special arrangements required by health insurance or other coverage.
Rehabilitation nurses are specially trained to help people with disabilities recover from illness or injury, relieve pain, prevent complications of immobility, manage medications and assistive devices (such as wheelchairs), educate patients about their condition/treatment plan, perform wound care (if necessary), provide respiratory therapy services for those who need it and more. A dietitian provides nutritional counseling on an individualized basis based upon each patient’s specific medical conditions.
Summary
An inpatient rehabilitation facility provides a variety of services to help you recover from your injuries or illness. The most common service is physical therapy, which helps patients regain strength and mobility following an injury or surgery.
Other common services include occupational therapy and speech pathology, which help improve daily functioning at home or work by aiding with activities like dressing, eating and bathing; cognitive therapies that can help improve mental skills such as memory; psychological counseling that addresses emotional issues associated with getting injured or sick; recreational therapy to give patients something fun to do during their hospital stay; medical care and monitoring services if surgery was performed on the patient’s body parts like their arms/legs/neck/back etc…
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GreySteps is where you will learn how to find the best senior care options for yourself or loved ones. We provide guides and resources for independent living, long-term acute care hospitals, hospice and other senior care options.