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Patient Guide

HOW TO BECOME A CAROLINAS REHABILITATION INPATIENT

Carolinas Rehabilitation treats patients on either an in- or outpatient basis. Below are some of the criteria for becoming an inpatient.

The patient must have functional deficits that require multi-disciplinary treatment. Examples of functional deficit include:

  • Decreased mobility
  • Decreased activities of daily living capability
  • Impaired communication abilities
  • Impaired bowel and/or bladder control
  • Impaired cognition
  • Dysphagia
  • Chronic pain subject to remediation

The patient must be able to tolerate three hours of intensive therapies per day. Since rehabilitation is essentially a learning process, the patient must have no lasting or major treatment impediment to learning, such as dementia or psychosis. However, a temporary impediment, such as acute head trauma, confusion or receptive aphasia that can be expected to improve, does not preclude admission.

The patient must have potential for significant improvement, as judged by peer review organizations.

The patient must require 24-hour-a-day, skilled rehabilitation nursing care and physician services. There must be medical or psychosocial reasons to justify admission, such as recent post-op status, management of diabetes, cardiac fragility, or inability to meet personal needs.

The patient must be medically stable. The patient must be capable of independent respiration and have no serious acute medical problems, such as uncontrolled seizures, uncontrolled infections, etc.

The patient must need more intensive rehabilitation services than those that can be provided by a skilled nursing facility. The patient must need therapeutic services in both quantity and diversity over and above those which a competent skilled nursing facility could provide, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychology, cognitive remediation, dysphagia training and bladder/bowel training programs.

Carolinas Rehabilitation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, handicap or age in admission or access to treatment or employment in its programs and activities.

For more information about Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Services, to schedule a tour or to make a referral please call 800-634-2256 or e-mail.

 QUICK FACTS
Definitions:

Inpatient - Receiving care in a 24-hour multidisciplinary healthcare facility that offers specialized and individualized care that focuss on abilities and potential.

Outpatient - Intermittent therapies by scheduled appointment for patients well enough to live at home or for patients not requiring 24-hour nursing care.

Acute - Providing at least three hours of therapy throughout a given day for a short period of time.

Sub-acute - Providing one to two hours of therapy throughout a given day for a longer period of time.

Dementia - A progressive change in mental status.

Dysreflexia - A body response to something, usually restrictive, that can be evidenced by increased blood pressure and sweating. When the cause is treated, symptoms are alleviated.

Dysphagia - Problems with swallowing.

Multidisciplinary treatment - Treatment using more than one treatment specialists to meet set goals in rehabilitation for achieving the patient's maximum independent functioning.

Interdisciplinary team - Depending on each patient's needs, this team can include specialists in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreation therapy, vocational services, nursing, social work, case management, psychology, physician services, dieticians, urology, and audiology. These members meet weekly to discuss the patients progress towards set goals.

Receptive aphasia - Difficulty understanding what someone else says or even what the person herself/himself says.
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