5 Reasons to Consider Short-Stay Rehab to Get You Back on Your Feet

Following discharge from a hospital for injury, illness or surgery, you or a loved one may be in need of therapy to regain your ability to live as independently as possible. This therapy is designed to be a bridge to normal life, rather than a permanent part of life going forward.

For situations such as these, there is short-stay rehab, also known as post-acute rehab. Short-stay rehab is intensive rehabilitation conducted by a multi-disciplinary health care team that might include physical, occupational and speech therapists, along with physicians, nutritionists, nurses and others.

Short-term rehab can get you back on your feet better, faster and stronger. Here are six benefits of this option.

1. Short Stay

Most people are eager to leave health care institutions and return home as soon as possible. Because short-term rehab is intensive and focused on returning patients home, it can often be completed in four-to-six weeks.

2. Customized

Your multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals will design a treatment plan specifically focused on your particular health issues, with the express purpose of building enough strength and confidence to allow you to return home.

The most common therapies provided by short-stay rehab centers are physical, occupational and speech therapy. Physical therapy is generally focused on the lower body and helps patients regain their ability to walk or use mobility devices, build strength and master important daily physical activities like standing up and bending over.

Occupational therapy is generally focused on the upper body and helps patients regain their activities of daily living like brushing teeth, preparing meals and dressing.

Speech therapy aids with swallowing, drinking and speaking.

3. Comfortable

Because their goal is to restore you to normal life, short-stay rehab facilities feel more like living facilities than like hospitals. Residents wear their own clothing and can eat their own food, if they like. Many residents personalize their living spaces and have opportunities to interact with other residents more than in a hospital.

At Nye Health Services short-stay rehab facilities — like Nye Legacy and Nye Pointe in Fremont, Gateway Vista in Lincoln, and Regency Square in South Sioux City — various amenities afford culinary, entertainment and socialization opportunities. These include private dining rooms, a library, chapel, clubhouse, common areas and even conference rooms for those conducting business while they recover. Most campuses provide guest suites for overnight stays by visiting friends and family.

4. Covered by Insurance

Medicare covers up to 100 days of inpatient therapy for patients who have stayed overnight in the hospital for inpatient care, at least three of the last 30 days. Because short-stay rehab is often completed in less than half that time, there is little or no cost to the patient. This is contingent on a variety of considerations, including whether the patient is making progress. 

5. Advanced Equipment and Techniques 

In a short-stay rehab facility, you’re likely to find the most advanced rehabilitation equipment and techniques. In-home therapy is limited by circumstances, but in-patient therapy can offer specialized equipment and unique programs like pet therapy. 

Nye Health Services offers seven communities in Eastern Nebraska and Wyoming, structured to meet the needs of their residents from independent living to skilled nursing, memory care, and now home care services. A family-owned company with a rich history of connecting with the people they serve, Nye Health Services is open for visits anytime. Call 402.753.1400 to schedule an appointment at locations in Fremont, Lincoln, South Sioux City, Norfolk, or Jackson Hole, or visit https://nyehealthservices.com/ for more information.