With any surgical procedure, a concern for care should never cease after the operation has been performed. Maintaining good care standards during the recovery period is just as important. For this reason, choosing a surgical rehab center that aligns with your specific care needs is especially important. In addition to verifying health insurance coverage, learn about some additional considerations.
1. Specific Experience
Aim to locate a facility with specific experience with patients who have undergone the same, or a very similar, procedure as you. The healthcare workers who staff these facilities are well trained on a variety of procedures, but it is helpful when they have specific experience with patients who have had the same care requirements that you will.
2. Operational Hours
Surgical rehab hospitals offer around-the-clock accommodations for recovering patients, but some of their services may be limited to set operational hours and have limited staff outside these hours. For example, therapy or massage services might only be offered during the daytime hours. If your procedure will require care outside these hours, verify the facility can accommodate your need.
3. Ambience and Comfort
Please pay attention to the accommodations offered to ensure it is a place you can call home, temporarily. It might not seem important, but for particularly specialized surgery, you could spend upwards of 30 days in the recovery facility. You want to be comfortable. From the warmth of the decorations to the layout of the room, you want to pay attention to these details.
4. Admitting Privileges
Many surgical rehab hospitals have partnerships with certain hospitals in the local area. In an emergency or urgent need, residents from the rehab facility will be transported and admitted to these facilities. If you have a specific doctor that you want to care for you, you want to ensure you choose a facility that has admitting privileges at a hospital where your physician also has admitting privileges.
5. Treatment Plans
Make sure you ask for a brief review of the facility's treatment plans for your specific procedure. Typically, these centers will have detailed plans describing the type of treatment offered, such as speech therapy or occupational therapy, and for what duration. The physician performing the procedure will be able to help you determine if the treatment plan will be ideal for your recovery needs.
Apply these tips to choose a hospital for special surgery rehab that can provide you with the care you need during your post-surgical period.
