“”Rehabilitation,” or rehab, is much more than a simple catch-all word for a recovery program; there are many different types of rehabilitation geared toward patients at all levels of recovery. So what’s the difference between acute rehab and subacute rehab?
What’s acute rehab?
Acute rehab is intense rehab for patients who have experienced a major medical trauma and need serious efforts to aid in recovery. Some patients may have had a stroke, just come out of major surgery, had an amputation, or may still be dealing with a serious illness. Most of these patients will not be able to fully recover without the aid of intense therapy and medical assistance, or would not be able to recover in a reasonable amount of time. Acute care patients usually come straight from the hospital, opening up beds for patients who need medical help, and they come to rehab when they are stable, but still need a tremendous amount of assistance that they wouldn’t be able to receive in a home setting. An acute stay is usually not long, since the “acute” portion of the rehab moves to a lower stage of rehab when the patient is progressing. The acute care patient has 3-5 hours of therapy every day, with a mix of speech, physical, occupational, and other acute therapies, such as respiratory therapy or electromagnetic therapies. He is seen by as physician, or a team of physicians, every day to mark progress and make recommendations for continuation of rehabilitation. Acute patients are expected to make fast progress and move up a level out of acute rehab.
What is subacute rehab?
Subacute rehab is a level lower than acute rehab in terms of intensity, of the patient’s condition and also of the rehab efforts. Patients may move straight into a subacute facility from the hospital if their rehab needs are not acute, or they may switch from acute rehab to subacute rehab in a facility if their situation changes. A patient can also move from an a specific acute care facility to a subacute facility, like Hudson View, once their situation has progressed and their needs have changed. Hudson View has staff specifically trained in subacute care and an environment geared toward progress in rehabilitation. In subacute rehab, there’s only about 2 hours of therapy a day, and periodic visits from a doctor. There are, however, daily visits from nurses and other staff to stay on top of the patient’s situation in case there are any changes that need a quick response. For example, a diabetes patient that’s recovering from amputation might be doing well in subacute rehab, but a nurse might notice a wound that needs quick attention.
If progress continues steadily at rehab, the length of stay is usually longer than in acute rehab. The next step for a subacute rehab patient is usually home care, where a patient gets either home therapy and nursing visits or outpatient rehab until his rehab is finished.
FAQs
In contrast to acute rehabilitation, Subacute Rehab provides less vigorous therapy, generally catering to patients transitioning from an acute rehab facility or for those who cannot tolerate acute rehab intensity.
Is acute rehab the same as SAR? ›
SAR vs.
The terms used to talk about medical care and rehabilitation can be confusing at times. SAR is different from a hospital or an acute inpatient rehabilitation center. A hospital, which is sometimes called "acute care," is appropriate only for significant medical issues with the goal of a very short stay.
What is acute rehabilitation? ›
Acute rehabilitation may be right for you if you have had an injury or debilitating disease that keeps you from your daily activities. These activities include being able to walk, stand, bathe, dress and feed yourself. You also may need acute rehab after having certain types of surgery, such as brain or spine surgery.
What is the goal of sub acute rehab? ›
PROMOTE physical function and enhance the skills needed to perform daily activities. OPTIMIZE strength, balance and mobility. IMPROVE speech and swallowing. DEVELOP new cognitive and behavioral strategies to compensate for any deficits.
What is the difference between subacute and acute? ›
Acute care motivates patients to improve their quality of life, while sub-acute care revolves around returning patients to their normal environments with better strength and functionality. Consult with the experts at the skilled nursing home to learn more and decide the right path for your senior.
What is acute vs subacute? ›
Sub-acute care is intensive, but to a lesser degree than acute care. This type of care is for those who are critically ill or suffer from an injury that won't withstand the longer, daily therapy sessions of acute care.
What happens in the acute stage of rehabilitation? ›
In the early, or acute, stage of a soft tissue (ie the first 48-72 hours), the body's own protection system very cleverly sends inflammation to the area of injury, usually experienced as pain, swelling, redness and loss of function.
What is the difference between rehab and acute rehab? ›
Acute care therapy is typically more intensive and frequent, aiming to quickly address urgent medical issues. On the other hand, therapy provided at post-acute facilities, like skilled nursing facilities, is geared towards long-term recovery and rehabilitation.
Is subacute rehab the same as SNF? ›
Subacute care is provided on an inpatient basis for those individuals needing services that are more intensive than those typically received in skilled nursing facilities but less intensive than acute care.
How long can a person stay in rehab on Medicare? ›
How long will Medicare cover rehab in a skilled nursing facility? Medicare covers inpatient rehab in a skilled nursing facility – also known as an SNF – for up to 100 days. Rehab in an SNF may be needed after an injury or procedure, like a hip or knee replacement.
Patients who need medical rehabilitation often must choose between receiving care at a rehabilitation hospital or at a nursing home. Although these two settings serve similar patients, rehabilitation hospitals provide a far higher level of care that leads to better outcomes.
What are the 4 stages of rehabilitation? ›
Phase 1 - Control Pain and Swelling. Phase 2 - Improve Range of Motion and/or Flexibility. Phase 3 - Improve Strength & Begin Proprioception/Balance Training. Phase 4 - Proprioception/Balance Training & Sport-Specific Training.
How long is subacute? ›
The care of acute (and recurring acute) injuries is often divided into 3 stages with general time frames: acute (0–4 days), subacute (5–14 days), and postacute (after 14 days).
Which person needs sub acute care? ›
Subacute care serves the needs of individuals suffering from a serious illness, injury or exacerbation of a disease.
What is the difference between acute and subacute pain? ›
Acute pain is usually sudden in onset and time limited (duration of less than 1 month) and often is caused by injury, trauma, or medical treatments such as surgery. Subacute pain is acute pain that does not resolve within 1 month and is present for 1 to 3 months.
What is the time frame for acute vs subacute vs chronic? ›
Acute conditions range from the initiation of an issue to about 2 weeks. Subacute conditions range from the 2-8 week point after initiation of a problem. Finally, chronic conditions are those that have been around for 2-3 months or longer.
What is the meaning of acute level of care? ›
OF ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS. Acute care is a level of health care in which a patient is treated for a brief but severe episode of illness, for conditions that are the result of disease or trauma, and during recovery from surgery.
