What is Acute Rehabilitation?

Acute rehabilitation is often needed for people who have suffered a traumatic injury, debilitating disease, or following certain types of surgeries. It is designed to help patients who would gain the most benefit from a rehabilitation program that is intensive and multidisciplinary. Patients in this type of rehab program often receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy when needed, and these programs are medically managed by physicians who have been specially trained for that purpose.

In a hospital that specializes in acute rehabilitation, there is often an attending physician onsite 24 hours a day to help manage the medical needs of each patient’s individual care. For those suffering from neurological diagnoses, a neuropsychologist is there to help determine if they require additional psychological or psychiatric treatments. What’s more—patients are also expected to make significant functional gains and medical improvements within a reasonable amount of time. They can also expect to receive a minimum of three hours of therapy each day, up to six days a week. This therapy is provided in both one-on-one and group settings, depending on what would be best for each individual patient.

More services, like respiratory therapy and therapeutic recreation programs are also available for the patients during their rehabilitation period.