When your loved one is hospitalized for surgery, illness, or a routine procedure, there are often so many immediate concerns that it can be hard to focus on the future. The post-hospital rehabilitation period can make all the difference in your loved one’s journey. For a number of reasons, rehabilitation and skilled nursing care can be the right choice for seniors considering their options after being discharged from the hospital.

After undergoing a medical procedure, seniors often want to return home to heal. It's worth weighing factors like their ability to manage hygiene and medication schedules, as well as access to specialized care and mental health support, when making the post-hospitalization decision. Jonny J., previous director of business development at West Hills Village Senior Residence in Portland, OR, a senior living community managed by The Goodman Group, says the days immediately following discharge can be crucial for a senior's recuperation.

"Most of the time, the decision is made in just a matter of days between coming out of surgery and relocating," Jonny says. The compressed timeline adds to the confusion, anxiety and stress families may already be feeling after a loved one is hospitalized. Consider the following factors ahead of time so your family is ready to make the decision when it matters most.

WHY YOU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE SKILLED CARE INSTEAD OF HOME CARE AFTER A HOSPITAL STAY

The idea of returning home immediately is tempting to many seniors. We all want to be surrounded by familiarity, but if a strong recovery is their health goal, they may need more than home can offer. The intensity of the hospital stay as well as lifestyle factors like independence, mobility and memory mean that a senior shouldn't be left without the support they need to heal, whatever "healing" looks like for them. Having access to support and professional caregivers can offer security and reassurance to recovering seniors and their families.

Health and rehabilitation communities managed by The Goodman Group offer comprehensive rehabilitation therapies and compassionate long-term care. Care options range from post-hospitalization short-term rehabilitation to long-term care solutions.

Jonny puts it this way: "Your goal is our goal. We want to get you home as soon as it's safe, and we get there by establishing progress goals for your time in skilled care. In most cases, you're going to meet those goals a lot sooner if you have round-the-clock care than with the options afforded with home care."

HEALTH AND REHABILITATION COMMUNITY OFFERINGS

Everyone's health journey from hospital to home looks different, and health and rehabilitation communities offer numerous benefits over home care for seniors choosing a care path after hospitalization. Consider the following services offered at health and rehabilitation communities:

Comprehensive Care

In addition to skilled nursing and rehabilitation care for the short- and long-term, health and rehabilitation communities provide 24-hour on-site staffing to respond to any situation and alleviate stress around concerns like managing a changing medication schedule following hospitalization.

Multidisciplinary Team

Specialists at health and rehabilitation communities create goals and a personalized plan of care to work toward them. Regular care conferences bring family into the picture, helping them chart their loved one's progress as their health journey moves through skilled care. When it's time to be discharged from skilled care, social service specialists will help ease the transition back home.

Rehabilitation

Getting better takes more than medicine. At health and rehabilitation communities, individuals receive on-site rehabilitation services including individualized physical therapy to address their unique physical challenges as well as occupational and speech therapy, whatever they need to rest, recover, and become their best selves again.

Personalized Service Offerings

The goal of any rehabilitation community is to help the individual get better, regardless of age or limitation. From housekeeping, laundry, and linen services, to therapy-focused diets, three chef-inspired meals per day, and socially engaging life enrichment programs, skilled care focuses on quality of life on top of getting back up to speed.

THE CENTRAL CONSIDERATION: “WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?”

"Better" looks different for every person coming out of the hospital. That's why skilled care includes care plans tailored to each senior's current state, goals and objectives. "Great care lies at the intersection of trust and compassion," Jonny says. Where the two meet, it all starts with a question: "What's most important to you? Is it getting back home? Getting back to the things you love to do? We want to focus on the person over the process.”

"Think about a person being discharged from the hospital," he adds, "where they don't have much control over their environment. If they want to make the most of their post-hospitalization care, whether it's short- or long-term, they need to feel some agency again. Health and rehabilitation communities help them feel like their input matters as they get ready to get back on their feet."