Skilled-Nursing Facilities: Negotiating the Terrain

 Skilled-Nursing Facilities: Negotiating the Terrain

Whether or not we plan to, many of us might need to spend time in a rehabilitation facility following an injury, illness, or surgery; knowing patient rights, the right questions to ask, and which staff to seek out can ease the process.

Be Prepared

Planning ahead is a great idea if you’re scheduled to have a procedure done in a hospital that requires follow-up rehab. Assistant administrator at a Santa Monica, California rehab facility, Sarah Dereniuk suggests you visit several facilities before your hospitalization to find the best fit. “The hospital discharge planner should provide you with options or your doctor might have a specific recommendation.” Visiting different facilities is the time to ask questions about their operation and services.

Entering rehab is less scary if you know what to expect. Your doctor should explain treatment and therapies that are being ordered before your discharge from the hospital. Dereniuk advises not to expect the nurse-to-patient ratio in a rehab facility that you had in the hospital. “Your nurse probably had you and three others in her care, while rehab nurses may have up to 12 patients. But you should still expect a reasonable response time if you call for assistance.”

To learn more please visit World Nursing Congress 2020