By Vista Springs Assisted Living

Injuries are scary for everyone, but for seniors especially, recovery can seem impossible. After a life-altering event such as a bad fall, stroke, or serious illness, it’s not uncommon for the elderly to assume that they’ll never regain the same level of function that they had before the injury. But ignoring a problem never makes it go away, and failing to devote adequate time and effort to recovering after an injury can severely damage a senior’s chances of regaining their maximum functional potential. Inpatient injury rehabilitation can help seniors get back on track, both physically and emotionally, for the life they want to lead.

24-Hour Care

When recovering from an injury, changes can happen at any moment, and it’s important to have support when they do. While outpatient care can allow patients to recover in the comfort of their own home, the lack of 24-hour support can be the difference between a timely and late response to a change in condition. With inpatient injury rehabilitation, seniors have access to a qualified team of care providers, including nurses, doctors, and therapists, at all times, ensuring that care takes place exactly when it’s needed.

In addition, around-the-clock monitoring means that seniors undergoing injury rehabilitation can rest easy knowing there will be someone on hand to help with medication administration, wound dressing, and activities of daily living like using the bathroom, even in the middle of the night.

Tailored Treatments and Therapies

Whether recovering from fall-related injury such as a fractured or broken bone, or from an illness, stroke, or other serious condition, inpatient rehabilitation programs are fully equipped to offer individualized treatment for every patient. Inpatient rehabilitation centers almost always have 24-hour skilled nursing, as well as access to licensed physicians, therapists, social workers, and other staff to provide the best care for their patients. This means treatments can be tailored to each injury, and more importantly, each person.

For example, after a hip fracture, an injury rehabilitation patient may need physical therapy to regain a full range of motion and strength training to learn how to easily maneuver with a walker. Or, after a stroke, treatment may include occupational therapy to create and learn strategies for daily activities of independent or assisted living and speech-language pathology to improve or regain communication skills.

Emotional Support

Injuries and recovery can be isolating, and coming to terms with a life-changing event can wreak havoc on anyone’s emotional state. It’s important for family and friends to support recovering seniors, but it can be hugely beneficial to bring in professional emotional support to help the patient rehabilitate both mind and body. Unlike friends and family, some of whom have never had to navigate the recovery process, therapists and professional caregivers are well-versed in the emotional difficulty that injuries can create, and have helped many patients understand and improve their mental states. This experience can not only help rehabilitation be more effective and quick, but also help the patient feel more calm and assured.

Inpatient rehabilitation is an important tool for getting the most out of life after an injury. With an attention to holistic, individualized care, injury rehabilitation services are dedicated to getting patients back to their highest possible level of function and independent living. With the right care, seniors can rebound from injuries and other life altering events to continue living life to the fullest.

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.