Skilled Rehab is Not “One-Size-Fits-All”

Imagine if you had a heart problem and were in need of a Cardiologist.

Would you go to a General Practitioner and rest assured in his/her ability to provide comprehensive cardiac care?

Of course not!

One of the biggest mistakes I notice, is when rehab facilities get caught up in doing so many things, that they wind up being deficient in each specific area.

Is it great to offer a varied selection of therapeutic modalities? Sure it is.

However, this should never come at the expense of a concerted effort to provide specialty care on a very high level.

The Proper Approach to Rehabilitation

For those with a serious illness, injury, or age related disability, rehabilitation can pose a serious challenge. Once the need for acute care has passed, patients who require rehabilitation services must look beyond the hospital for care. It is therefore of vital importance to find that medium where you can provide the requisite care and rehab so that the patient can transition from the hospital to home and live life to its fullest.

I advocate a holistic approach where you think of each person as an individual and as a “total patient” while focusing on specific rehabilitation needs. This approach requires one to recognize that some patients will not benefit from aggressive therapy and that for others returning home to independent living may not be a realistic goal.

Therapy programs should be designed to ensure high levels of comfort and stability, while helping to achieve maximum independence and quality of life.

Whatever the problem or condition – from medically complex disorders to post-operative recovery and wound care, a dedicated and individualized approach should consistently produce successful results for rehabilitative patients.

Our Perspective

At Regency Nursing Centers, our decades of experience caring for the elderly, frail and chronically ill has given us a unique understanding of the needs of those we serve and, equally important, a thorough respect for their capabilities and limitations.

So here is what I recommend to all of my colleagues who are reading this blog (and I thank you for that!).

• Complicated medical conditions require complex, specialized services.

• Set up an interdisciplinary team of hospital-trained nurses and healthcare professionals to provide a very high level of care in a holistic healing environment.

• Be sure to designate Registered Nurse case managers, specially trained social workers, psychologists, registered dieticians, physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapists and  integrate their skills to optimize the outcome for each patient.

• Utilize the latest methods and modalities in all 3 disciplines of therapy and don’t be afraid to tackle new innovations because ours is an evolving industry.

• What works today may indeed work tomorrow, but perhaps there is something new that will work even better and more efficiently.

• In addition, look to carve out a niche for yourself and distinguish yourself from your competition.

• Consider specializing in nursing and therapeutic services, including IV Therapy, enteral feeding, wound care, pain management and intervention.

• Most of all, dedicate yourself fully to the wellbeing of each individual patient and do right by them.

Good luck!

Judah Gutwein

Judah Gutwein, LNHA, is the Director of Admissions, Administration, Marketing, Social Media for Regency Nursing and Post-acute Rehabilitation Centers, NJ. The Regency organization has become synonymous with the best in senior healthcare and has garnered a well deserved reputation for its unsurpassed commitment to its patients and residents. The Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers and Facilities throughout New Jersey have achieved numerous industry ‘gold standard’ benchmarks an have received accolades from all corners of the HealthCare community.