FAQ’s Regarding Admitting Your Loved One To A Post-Acute Rehabilitation Facility

By: Judah Gutwein, LNHA, - Regency Post-Acute Rehabilitation and Nursing Centers

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the admission and stay of your loved one at any Nursing and Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center. We get asked these questions quite a bit at Regency Nursing and Rehab Centers, whether at our Somerset woods location, or at any of our other facilities throughout New Jersey. I hope this will help provide clarity regarding this important topic.

• What is Post-Acute Care and Rehabilitation? A.Post- Acute care and Rehabilitation refers to a comprehensive focus on short term rehabilitation patients to provide them with a robust therapy program (including all 3 therapy disciplines) prior to their return to home after an acute hospitalization. 
• Does the patient need to be admitted to the hospital for 3 consecutive nights in order to qualify under Medicare for Postacute rehab? A. Yes. Currently, Medicare makes the ‘3 night stay’ a pre-requisite before covering in-patient therapy at a Postacute rehab facility. However, many HMO’s and insurances do not make a similar requirement.
• Is it necessary to provide detailed and personal financial information for a short-term Post-Acute admission to an in-patient Nursing and Rehab Center? A. Call the specific facility you are interested in and ask this question. At Regency Nursing Centers in NJ, we do not make such a stipulation.
• Can patients only be admitted to a rehab facility directly from a hospital? A. Not at all. Patients may be admitted from Assisted Living centers, directly from home, from acute rehab centers and even from other Post-acute rehab facilities!
• Do facilities have a specialized post-acute unit for rehab patients? A. Yes. Typically.
• Do facilities offer a dedicated Alzheimer’s unit or “lockdown units?” A. Facilities are always tasked with a mandate to provide a safe and compassionate environment for all residents, including those who suffer from various stages of dementia and other cognitive disabilities.
• Do some facilities provide specialty care and services? A. Absolutely! Regency Nursing facilities feature specialty care niches, such as respiratory, pulmonary and cardiac care onsite, 24 hours, 7 days a week! Contact the facility you might be interested in, to determine their specific range of specialty services offered.
• Will my loved one be able to have his/her private primary care physician continue to provide care while he/she is at your facility? A. This really depends upon whether or not your loved ones PCP (Primary Care Physician) is credentialed and follows patients at the facility of your choice. If the Doctor in the community does not participate with your facility of choice, another Dr. will be assigned to the patient for the duration of their rehab stay.
• Are families able to tour rehab facilities prior to committing? A. Of course!