Why Seniors Prefer Short-Term Rehab at an Assisted Living Community

While some seniors move into assisted living on a permanent basis, others move in to recover from an injury, illness or surgery. Otherwise known as short-term rehabilitation. This short-term service is a great opportunity for seniors to experience professional therapy in a safe, welcoming community setting, before returning back home. It can also be a prime opportunity for your senior loved one to experience assisted living firsthand, and see if this is something they would like full-time. With that said, here’s more on what makes short-term rehab offered by leading assisted living communities such a desirable option.

Professional caregivers onsite, 24 hours a day

When recovering from an illness or surgery, seniors need a much higher level of care than they usually would. Often, family members are unable to provide this either because their loved one needs professional nursing care and a high level of assistance or because full time care at home isn’t possible due to work and other commitments.

In an assisted living community, all the care services a senior would need are already onsite and available 24 hours a day. These professionals have the necessary training and experience to properly care for seniors who are recovering from a wide range of health conditions, such as  a serious fall, heart operation, pneumonia, a hip replacement, and more. They can assist with daily tasks of living as well, like bathing, dressing, and feeding, all while ensuring your senior parent’s recovery stays on track.

Onsite rehabilitation and therapy

Similarly, there are also a wide range of therapists onsite and available to meet their rehabilitation needs for physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy. This means that seniors using assisted living for short-term stays get the benefit of trained therapists coming directly to them – no need to source professionals, make appointments, organize transport or perform complex exercises at home.

This is as convenient for patients as it is for their family caregivers, ensuring they get a high quality rehabilitation program that helps to accelerate the healing process, build strength, and recover more effectively from their illness or operation.

Senior-safe living spaces

Unlike assisted living communities, the standard home is not usually designed to prioritize the needs of seniors. While seniors may usually be independent at home, this changes when they are recovering from a surgery or illness. Stairs, bathrooms, and other everyday tasks can become serious obstacles to a recovering senior. The last thing anyone wants is the additional complication of a fall.

Staying at an assisted living community for the recovery period effectively removes this challenge. The entire community – from the communal areas to the apartments – are designed to meet the needs of seniors. Fall risks are reduced as much as possible through the combination of room design, grab bars, 24-hour alert pendants, other equipment like wheelchairs and walkers, and the constant assistance of the care team themselves.

An opportunity to experience assisted living

As anyone with a senior parent knows, there can be a lot of resistance to the idea of moving into an assisted living community. Although your loved one may believe, deep down, that it could be the right choice for them, it’s normal to initially reject the idea. Change is much harder when you’re older, especially when it feels like giving up a part of your life and independence.

Staying in an assisted living facility for short-term rehabilitation is an easier bridge for a senior (as well as their families!) to cross when broaching the subject of moving. Not only will your senior family member receive excellent care, but they will also experience other essential assisted living services firsthand. It’s important to remember that a reputable assisted living community is focused on each resident’s quality of life, and helps them maintain as much independence as possible. A short-term stay gives patients a chance to experience daily life in the community without the pressure of an immediate decision to move permanently. 

Short-term rehab in Sussex County, NJ

UMC at Bristol Glen is proud to say that we’ve recently earned a place on the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes and Short-Stay Rehabilitation Lists, reflecting our dedication to the quality of our short-term rehabilitation services, including the expertise of our associates and medical professionals on-site. As a full-service senior community, our aim is to offer everything seniors need to live a full and independent life. From comfortable apartments and beautiful outdoor spaces to qualified, compassionate caregivers, we offer seniors the resources and care they need to meet their recovery goals. 

If you or a loved one is looking for post-operative or post-hospitalization care, please contact a care advisor at Bristol Glen today or visit our website at https://umcommunities.org/bristolglen/short-term-rehab-nj/