Not every rehabilitation facility is a good fit for every patient. The goal is successful graduation from a rehab program allowing a senior loved one to restore their health and regain independence following illness or injury. The overall care plan and goals are individualized and patients are supported with medical care and support for activities of daily living while participating in physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy. Before admission and within the first week after admission, high-quality facilities will make sure five things happen.
Your family has answers and a tour.
Rehabilitation facilities should invite families for a tour and spend time answering all of their questions. The success of therapies depends not only on professional staff and the use of best practices, but also on the environment, comfort, and connection patients feel with the rehab staff – from CNAs to therapists and beyond. If a facility is slow to answer family requests or defers any attempts for family members to tour the facility prior to a transfer, it may not be a good fit.
At the Restoracy, we understand the stress and pressure families feel when a loved one is hospitalized and needs rehab services. We invite families for a tour of our facilities as soon as we receive a referral from a hospital. The rehab decision is often made quickly. That’s why it’s essential for families to feel comfortable with their choice and understand how the facility operates and what they and their loved one can expect.
The person deciding on admissions is a medical professional.
It’s not a federal or state requirement that staff in charge of rehabilitation facility admissions are medical professionals, and the industry standard is that most are not. Having medical professionals like doctors or nurses in charge of admissions decisions, however, provides better outcomes for patients. They use their expertise and deeper understanding of a patient’s medical needs to determine whether they’ll be successful in their rehabilitation goals at their specific facility and if the facility is truly equipped to support them.
When rehabilitation admission decisions are made by non-medical staff and incentives are in place based on filling capacity, priorities shift away from patient goals. This is why Restore Rehab at the Restoracy admissions decisions are always made by nurses who go beyond capacity. Admissions nurses evaluate the ability of Restore Rehab to support a patient’s goals and overall health while at the Restoracy.
Your loved one receives an orientation guide.
Rehab decisions are decided during hospitalization, and seniors transferring to a rehab facility won’t have the opportunity to take their time touring and exploring options. Receiving a robust orientation guide is the next best thing. Learning about what they can expect, the amenities offered, and the environment they’ll call home for the duration of therapies gives them a chance to become familiar with and see themselves comfortably settled and well supported. Reviewing a facility guide can also help seniors come up with questions to ask about the things most important to them, like whether they can have some of the comforts of home with them during their stay, how friends and family can visit, and what they can expect from meals and snacks available to them.
Restore Rehab at the Restoracy provides a comprehensive overview of what seniors can expect. Full-color photos and easy-to-read text help seniors learn about the amenities, therapies, and life at their new home. Details that help residents feel at home include: wifi network information, important phone numbers, how laundry is handled (at Restore Rehab, each resident’s laundry is washed separately and at no extra charge), beautician services, and when the kitchen closes (at Restore Rehab it’s open around the clock, just like at home). Beyond feeling at home, Restore Rehab wants residents to know the breadth of clinical services available at the Restoracy so the onboarding documentation provides a comprehensive list of clinical services every resident has access to.
Hospitals can get answers from the facility on weekends.
Time of discharge doesn’t keep convenient business hours. This is why it’s essential for hospital case managers and social workers to be able to reach rehab facility teams on weekends. Patients can be ready for discharge any day of the week, and knowing that answers and care coordination from a rehab facility is available every day of the week ensures a smoother transition and better experience for hospital staff, patients, and their families.
While many rehab facilities don’t staff admission coordinators and support staff on the weekends, Restore Rehab at the Restoracy ensures hospitals and families have the answers they need as fast as possible. When it’s time to coordinate rehab care, patients aren’t left waiting for the next convenient business day to learn about the next steps.
The care planning meeting happens after a few days.
The sooner, the better normally applies to caring for patients. Creating a care plan is one of few exceptions. Why not do it immediately? An important part of patient success in rehab is their willingness to participate in the exercises and therapies provided. The best way to make sure a rehab program works well for a patient is to create a customized care plan that takes into account who the person is, what motivates them best, and what friction points can make therapy more difficult for them.
Exceptional facilities take a few days to help new patients settle in. They get to know them and help patients start to build rapport with the staff caring for them. They don’t rush to finish a care plan to check the box and move on to the next. When the care plan meeting happens, it includes therapy, nursing, social services, and financial team members to make sure it covers the full scope of needs.
Restoring health at the Restoracy.
Senior loved ones who require rehabilitation services love Restore Rehab at the Restoracy because it doesn’t feel like a nursing home. When a loved one needs support restoring their health and independence, our professional, in-house therapy teams are ready to support their goals, celebrate their wins, and welcome them to a place they can truly call home while they work to get back to theirs.
From home-cooked meals to the best CNA-to-patient ratio in the state (1 CNA for every 6 patients), there’s no place like Restore Rehab at the Restoracy. Talk to our admissions team and have all your questions answered – fast.