What is inpatient rehab?
The word rehabilitation literally means to “enable again” or restore a person’s abilities as fully as possible. A rehabilitation hospital, on the inpatient side, is designed to help someone who’s been impaired by an injury or illness and a physician determines you’re medically stable and physically able to begin a comprehensive program of 3 hours of therapy per day, 5 days per week. It’s typically for patients who have been discharged from the hospital, but aren’t quite ready to return home. They can get stronger and more stable and independence when they do go home. It’s really there to help them on their journey to recovery.
What is the difference between inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab?
Outpatient rehab typically involves the same type of therapists – physical, occupational and speech – but it’s normally at a lower intensity and a little less frequently. It’s also for patients that are more stable and don’t need 24 hour nursing care or the oversight of a physician on a daily basis. It’s a lot of the same experts, just at a lower intensity level.
What types of services and treatment will be available?
We actually have many expert services in St. Louis in the Central West End and our partners BJC HealthCare and their experts – we are so happy to bring this to St. Charles County. I live in St. Peters - I’ve grown up here. Sometimes it’s difficult when you have a family member in the hospital and you have to drive a ways to see them. So here in St. Peters, we are offering the same services. We have physicians, including neurologists, physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, certified rehab nurses, experienced therapists and case managers who will design a treatment and recovery plan for every patient. The goal is to restore function to the fullest ability and get people back home where they want to be. They treat patients who have suffered a stroke, a brain or spinal cord injury, a hip fracture, cancer patients, even patients that have had a Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis acerbation. They can come and get treatment and get stronger so they can return home.
Describe a potential “typical day” during inpatient rehabilitation.
In an inpatient rehab facility, you wake up and a lot of times an occupational therapist will assist you with eating breakfast, getting dressed, taking a shower – all the things you would typically do when you wake up in the morning and get ready to start your day. Throughout the day, you’ll visit with therapists who will help you with speech, swallowing, walking…a lot of people who have suffered a stroke have right side or left side paralysis, so they work on getting those patients stronger and more independent. Throughout the day, you’ll have different therapies – either they’ll come to you or take you to therapy gym. You’ll have lunch at some point in the day. At 5 pm, most of your therapy is over and you can relax and visit with your family, and get ready for the next day because it is intensive therapy.
As far as length of stay, what can be expected?
It really depends on the patient. The case managers, physicians and therapists get together to develop a plan for each person. The typical length of stay at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital is 14-16 days. We want to give you the best therapy and the best care that we can so you can get home and do the things you want to do.
What does this mean for people in St. Charles County?
It means that you have expert care right here in your own backyard. You don’t have to travel to St. Louis to get the best care, but that’s just not the case. The brand new Siteman Cancer Center expansion just opened with expert oncology, now we have expert inpatient rehabilitation…all the services that you need and want are right here.
Go to rehabinstitutestl.com or call 314.658.3800 for more information.