After approval and admission to the ARU, a physician who is a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation will direct your care through a team of experienced rehabilitation nurses and therapists. Your own physician as well as other appropriate consultants will be invited to participate in your care.
How does Acute Rehab differ from Skilled Nursing?
Acute, or inpatient rehab, provides patients with a more intensive level of therapy than skilled nursing and offers closer medical supervision. To qualify for acute rehab patients must be able to tolerate three hours of therapy a day and require daily medical management and rehabilitation nursing.
Will my insurance pay for this?
Acute rehab is covered by most insurances. Even with available coverage, however, patients must be considered medically appropriate for this level of care. Managed insurance companies typically review and give approval before admission (pre-authorization) to a rehab unit. Conventional Medicare does not require pre-authorization but reserves the right to review records later to verify medical necessity.
How long is a typical stay on the Acute Rehab Unit?
Length of stay is specific to a patient’s diagnosis and functional level. An average stay after a hip fracture, for example, may be one week whereas an inpatient stay following a stroke may be two weeks or more.
How do I make a referral?
Patients can refer themselves or be referred by a family member by calling 724-543-8172. If the patient is already in a medical facility, the referral to acute rehab, including faxing of necessary medical records, is generally handled by a case manager at the request of the patient or family.