As medical professionals serving a large senior population, we often have patients who are in need of short-term or extensive rehabilitation services due to suffering a stroke, becoming critically injured, contracting a severe or chronic illness, or experiencing a cardiac condition. Finding the appropriate rehabilitation facility can be an overwhelming challenge for your patient and her family, from researching which facility to use and determining the types of necessary therapies to learning which services are covered by insurance or Medicare. Medicare Parts A and B will cover most types of services and procedures, but there will soon be revised therapy cap limits for certain kinds of services. These cap limits may also differ depending on certain documentation provided by specific therapists. Healthcare professionals can provide the proper resources, referrals, and vital information needed to walk senior patients through this temporary situation and help ensure their rehabilitation — and a successful road to recovering their independence.
Types of Rehabilitation Centers
Your patient’s medical circumstances will help determine which services are needed at which type of facility. If he has suffered a stroke or substantial injury such as a broken leg or hip, then occupational and physical therapy services may begin in an inpatient skilled nursing facility with continued therapy at an approved rehabilitation center on an outpatient basis. Unfortunately, not all therapeutic services may be available within the same facility. If your patient is fortunate enough to receive a majority of those services at one place, an interdisciplinary team format will be utilized after a comprehensive assessment, consisting of various types of therapists, nurses, and doctors working on a rehabilitation plan together.
Many hospitals have their own cardiac rehabilitation centers for those who have undergone major operations like bypass surgery, heart valve replacement, or heart transplant surgery, which are all covered by Medicare Part B. Your patients also qualify for cardiac rehabilitation coverage if they have recently undergone a coronary angioplasty, have had a heart attack within the last twelve months, or have had a minor cardiac procedure. Upon discharge, patients will typically continue their cardiac therapy with doctor’s orders by returning to the hospital’s facility.