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?
What do I look for in a rehabilitation facility?

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, and inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. Although all of these facilities have rehabilitation professionals available, only one specializes in rehabilitation—the inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Because its primary focus is rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, like HealthSouth Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, 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 the patient's needs?" For more information, click here

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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.

• Daily physician visits
• Therapy for 3 or more hours per day
• Therapy up to 6 days a week
• ACLS certified registered nurses

Medical Services

As an acute rehabilitation hospital, HealthSouth has an extensive medical staff trained to provide the comprehensive medical management needed to help patients achieve optimal health and independence. Our medical staff is comprised of:

• Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Neurology physicians
• Numerous physician specialists, including pulmonologists, orthopedists, cardiologists, neurologists and neuropsychologists

Therapeutic Services

Acute rehabilitation hospitals provide a higher level of therapeutic services than other rehabilitation facilities. Although the intensity and duration of therapies depend on the patient's needs and capabilities, HealthSouth is equipped to provide each patient with therapeutic services:

The intensity and availability of therapeutic services provided through inpatient rehabilitation 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.
• Patients receive 6-8 hours of nursing care each day (compared to four or less hours per day per patient at skilled nursing facilities/nursing homes). 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.

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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 important, 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 may 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 at which you and your loved ones can discuss your treatment plan with your rehabilitation team.

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Who will my doctors be?

HealthSouth’s medical staff includes many full time hospital-based physicians 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 primary care physician. Because HealthSouth values the integral role you and your family play in the rehabilitation process, we encourage open communication between you and your HealthSouth physicians.

When you are ready to leave HealthSouth, a discharge summary will be sent to your personal physician so he or she can pick up where our doctors leave off.

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.

Each patient has an individualized care plan that is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that realistic goals are being achieved. The rehabilitation team consists of:

• Physician – Physicians specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatry), as well as other specialists, work to provide patients with comprehensive medical care and treatment.
• Rehabilitation Nurse – nurses specially trained in rehabilitation teach and educate patients and families on how to manage healthcare needs after leaving the hospital.
• Case Manager – coordinates your care, works with you and your family regarding plans for discharge and serves as a liaison between the patient, family, insurance carrier, treatment team and community agencies.
• Physical Therapist (PT) – focuses on movement dysfunction. Therapists assist patients in walking, teach wheelchair transfer techniques and provide orthotic/prosthetic device evaluation and training.
• Occupational Therapist (OT) – teaches patients self-care skills for activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating and food preparation. Therapist addresses cognitive (thought) and perceptual (visual) deficits.
• Speech/Language Pathologist – focuses on improving communication skills through basic cognitive retraining to increase functional independence with decision-making, reasoning, memory and swallowing retaining.
• Respiratory Therapist – helps patients with respiratory muscle weakness or a susceptibility to respiratory difficulties to help prevent further respiratory problems.
• Psychology/Counseling – addresses patient and family adjustment issues, educates regarding disability and evaluates cognitive function.
• Dietician – our registered dietician helps patients and families develop proper diets and menus to help prevent future health problems.
Patient/family – patients and families are considered part of the rehabilitation team. We encourage your participation in decisions regarding your care.

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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 will be scheduled to attend periodic 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?

We suggest wearing casual, comfortable clothes that allow easy movement for therapy. Since patients are out of their rooms all day, hospital gowns are not worn. Patients should bring the following:

• Seasonal outerwear
• Shirts/blouses with button fronts or pullovers that fit easily over the head
• Comfortable slacks, sweatpants or a sweatsuit
• Athletic shoes with good support
• Undergarments
• Pajamas or gown, robe, slippers
• Toiletry articles such as toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, brush, deodorant, etc.
• Any corrective devices such as dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, etc.
• Specialized equipment labeled with the patient’s name

Who will pay for my rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation is covered in full or in part by most health insurance plans, including Medicare. HealthSouth has contracts with major insurance companies and is willing to negotiate with other companies as needed.

We strive to make payment procedures as easy as possible. Facility personnel are available to meet with patients, families or other responsible parties to discuss billing procedures and requirements prior to admission. Lakeshore will verify your insurance coverage prior to admission and file an insurance claim for you stay as a courtesy.

What do I look for in a rehabilitation facility?

The next step in your recovery is your choice. Although many facilities offer rehabilitation services, the quality, amount and comprehensiveness of these services can vary significantly.

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The following questions can help you evaluate your options for inpatient rehabilitative care.

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