How to Rate Rehabilitation Centers

Physical rehabilitation is often done at skilled nursing facilities.

Changes in our health care system have affected where patients receive rehabilitation services. Instead of getting their inpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy in hospitals, patients needing extended rehabilitation often go to rehabilitation centers or skilled nursing facilities. Because most rehab facilities are technically nursing homes with a rehabilitation focus, the best information on them is gathered from researching skilled nursing facilities.

Instructions

1. Call your state department of health and request recent state surveys of the facilities you want to research. State departments of health inspect skilled nursing facilities no fewer than twice a year and often more. Their reports are public record and can usually be requested directly from the departments.

2. Speak to local gerontologists and orthopedic surgeons in the area in which a rehabilitation facility is located. You can find these doctors in the phone book or ask at your local hospital for names of doctors. Physicians usually know the reputations and, more importantly, may have had some of their patients stay in these facilities. They should be able to comment on the medical care, the rehabilitation and the state of the facilities.

3. Visit facilities and get tours. Look for the amount and quality of their rehabilitation equipment, the size of the rehab gyms and their patient populations. Ask therapists and facility managers about the typical length of stay and the rigor of treatment. These are some of the most critical factors in rating a rehab program's efficacy.

4. Contact senior citizens groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons. (See Resources) Many of these groups offer publications and information on nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. They may have their own reporting and rating you can use to help you.

5. Check with hospital discharge planners in the area around facilities you're evaluating. Find out which rehabilitation facilities they send their patients to and why. Most have relationships with the facilities and many follow up with patients to get feedback about their skilled nursing care experiences.

References

• New York Department of Health: Mercy Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility
• AARP: Nursing Homes - Cost and Coverage
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: State Nursing Home Quality Improvement Programs
• Washington State Department of Social and Human Services: Residential Care Services - Enforcement Process
• Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Skilled Nursing Facility Care

Resources

• American Association of Retired Persons: Contact Us