The next step in recovery is your choice. When seeking rehabilitation for you or a loved one, it’s important to know there are different options. The following questions can help you evaluate your treatment options.
- How do I choose a rehabilitation facility?
- How is inpatient rehabilitation different from other kinds of rehabilitation?
- Why should I choose HealthSouth?
- What can I expect when I am admitted to HealthSouth?
- Who will my doctors be?
- Who else will assist me in my recovery?
- What role will my family play in my rehabilitation?
- What should I bring to the hospital?
- Who will pay for my rehabilitation?
How do I choose a rehabilitation facility?
To decide the best rehabilitation facility for you or your loved one, it is important to know that there are different kinds of facilities from which to choose.
Maybe you have heard the terms used to refer to those choices — skilled nursing (or sub-acute rehabilitation) facilities, nursing homes, assisted living centers, and inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.
Although all of these facilities have rehabilitation professionals on staff, only one specializes in rehabilitation — the inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
Because its primary focus is rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, like HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Virginia, provide a higher level of care distinctly different from other facilities that offer rehabilitation services.
Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals:
- Provide more intensive therapeutic services
- Have more physician specialists with expertise in treating patients with disabling injuries/illnesses
- Have a higher percentage of registered nurses skilled in rehabilitation nursing
- Have the most highly trained therapists
- Offer the most innovative therapeutic programs
- Have the most up-to-date technologies and facilities
- Provide comprehensive patient/family education
When considering your rehabilitation options, the most important question to ask is, "Which level of care best meets my needs?"
How is inpatient rehabilitation different from other kinds of rehabilitation?
HealthSouth provides acute rehabilitation, a level of care quite different from other facilities that offer rehabilitation services. That difference is evident in several important ways.
Medical Services
Patients receive care from an extensive medical staff trained to provide the comprehensive treatment needed to help them achieve and overcome illness or injury to regain independence. Our medical staff is comprised of:
- Internal Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians
- Numerous physician specialists, including pulmonologists, orthopedists, cardiologists, neurologists, and neuropsychologists
Therapy Programs
Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals provide a higher level of therapeutic services than other rehabilitation facilities. Although the intensity and duration of therapy depend on the patient's needs and capabilities, HealthSouth is equipped to provide each patient with therapeutic services:
- Up to seven days per week
- For three or more hours a day
The intensity and availability of therapy provided result in a high level of functional outcomes and discharges to the community. In fact, patients admitted to a rehabilitation hospital are three times more likely to go home than those admitted to a skilled nursing facility.
Nursing Services
As with medical and therapeutic services, acute rehabilitation hospitals provide a distinctly different level of nursing care than other rehabilitation facilities. At HealthSouth:
- A 24-hour team of registered nurses and personal care assistants assess and attend to each patient's needs. They work in partnership under the primary nurse-model, which assures continuity of care.
- Patients receive 6-8 hours of nursing care each day (compared to four or less hours per day per patient at skilled nursing facilities). This high level of nursing care leads to early recognition/prevention of medical complications, more out-of-bed hours and increased opportunities for patient-family education.
- Fifty percent of nursing staff are registered nurses (compared to thirty-five percent at skilled nursing facilities).
- Many of our staff nurses are certified registered rehabilitation nurses. Trained to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabling injuries and illnesses, these nursing specialists provide holistic patient care and patient-family education, facilitate carry-over from therapy and reinforce patient goals.
Why should I choose HealthSouth?
Choosing a rehabilitation facility is a lot like choosing a doctor. Sometimes a general practitioner is just fine. Other times you need a specialist.
When you need a specialist, you want someone with an excellent reputation and lots of experience in their chosen field. You want someone who has access to the best technologies and facilities. Most importantly, you want someone who will use all of his or her expertise to provide the care you need.
In the rehabilitation field, HealthSouth is like that physician specialist. As an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, we specialize in physical rehabilitation. It is our primary focus.
Our expert staff dedicates all their skills and knowledge to one primary goal – improving each patient's functional abilities through intensive, individualized medical and therapeutic services. To help patients reach that goal, we provide the latest technologies, equipment and therapies.
What can I expect when I am admitted to HealthSouth?
During your first few days at HealthSouth, your treatment team will conduct various evaluations so they can establish your treatment plan and estimate how long you need to reach your goals.
Each day you will engage in a rehabilitation program designed just for you. The intensity and duration of your therapies will depend on your needs and capabilities. Each week your treatment team will meet to discuss your progress, goals and discharge plan.
Your rehabilitation program may also include a family conference where you and your loved ones can discuss your treatment plan with your rehabilitation team. Sometime during your stay, you and one of your therapists may venture out into the community so you can evaluate your abilities in real-life situations. Also, toward the end of your stay, one of your therapists may visit your home to evaluate it for safety and accessibility.
Who will my doctors be?
HealthSouth’s medical staff includes many full-time, hospital-based physicians and nurse practitioners whose only responsibility is to make your rehabilitation successful. Throughout your stay, every effort will be made to keep your own doctors involved in your care and aware of your progress. When needed, consulting medical and surgical specialists from area hospitals who have privileges at HealthSouth will be available to assist in your treatment.
While you are here, our doctors assume total responsibility for your care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, coordinating that care with your regular health care team in the community. HealthSouth values the integral role you and your family play in the rehabilitation process and we encourage open communication between you and your HealthSouth physicians.
Who else will assist me in my recovery?
While you are at HealthSouth, a team of rehabilitation professionals will work in concert with you, your family and one another to help you reach your rehabilitation goals.
Throughout your stay, a 24-hour team of registered nurses and personal care assistants will assess and attend to your day-to-day health needs. Many of HealthSouth’s experienced registered nurses have earned certification in rehabilitation nursing; these highly skilled clinicians possess unequalled training in meeting the specialized needs of rehabilitation patients.
When you are admitted to HealthSouth, you will be assigned a case manager who communicates with your insurance company and coordinates services you will need when you leave the hospital. If these include outpatient rehabilitation, HealthSouth has its own outpatient center that offers a full complement of therapeutic and support services.
Other members of your treatment team will be determined by your rehabilitation needs. These may include physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapists. If your injury or illness has affected your thinking skills or work capabilities, your treatment team may also include a neuropsychologist and vocational counselor. Because HealthSouth is committed to meeting your emotional and spiritual needs, we also provide family counseling and pastoral care services.
What role will my family play in my rehabilitation?
At HealthSouth, your loved ones are an integral part of your rehabilitation. In fact, we consider them part of your treatment team.
Therefore, your family is always welcome to attend your therapy sessions so they can see what you are learning and how you are progressing. Our staff also provides ongoing education to help you and your family understand your diagnosis, promote your continued good health and prepare for your return to the community.
What should I bring to the hospital?
Along with the usual items you need for any hospital stay, you should have several sets of comfortable "work out clothing" and soft/non-skid soled shoes or sneakers. With the exception of small personal items and a few dollars for reading materials, all other valuables should be given to family members for safekeeping.
Who will pay for my rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation is covered in full or in part by most health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. HealthSouth has contracts with major insurance companies and is willing to negotiate with other companies as needed.
