Hospital stays, planned or unplanned, are never a first choice for a vacation.  Despite our desire to be relaxing on a beach or enjoying the mountains, you or someone you love will unfortunately end up spending time in a hospital.  Once stable, hospital patients frequently say the same thing, I just want to go home. When you are in a hospital, your road home may be direct, or it may include a short detour to a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility.  Safety and function are two key points to consider when choosing the best road home.Acute hospitals have the staff, equipment and expertise to care for unstable patients.  The need for acute hospital care ends once the patient is stable.  With advances in medicine, the amount of time needed to become stable is getting shorter and shorter.  Families are often surprised at how fast their loved one discharges from the hospital.  This is because stable patients are not always safe patients, which is a concern for both patients and families.  If a patient is stable, but not safe to go home, they will most likely need additional time at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility to regain their safety. Physical function is another area needing consideration when deciding if going home is the right choice.  If the patient can independently perform basic activities of daily living, they will most likely go directly home. If they need help with these activities, a quick stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility is key.  Examples of these basic activities are eating, drinking, using the restroom, transferring between positions such as, lying to sitting, sitting to standing, standing to sitting, and walking.  These basic functions can be lost during an extended hospital stay.  This is normal and easily remedied with a quick stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility. If you find yourself in a situation where your safety or function is keeping you from going home, remember that a stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility is exactly what you need.  Your hospital case manager will help you navigate your road home.  I highly recommend having someone tour at least three short-term rehabilitation centers/skilled nursing facilities on your behalf to find the one that fits your unique need. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Troy Hamler, N.H.A. Troy Hamler is the Executive Director for The Center at Northridge and may be reached at 303-280-4444.

For individuals recovering from an illness or injury and in need of additional care, understanding their next steps can be confusing. Here is a brief overview of three of the most common types of treatment options.Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals          Do not require a 3-night overnight stay in acute care before accepting         Best for medically complex patients         8 hours of direct care per day         30-90 minutes of therapy daily         Full range of physicians         Physician involvement 7 days per weekInpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals         Do not require a 3-night overnight stay in acute care before accepting         Best for patients who need medical care daily         6 hours of direct care per day         3 hours of one-to-one therapy daily (depending upon the hospital)         Full range of physician with specialty visits on site, consulting as needed         Physician involvement 7 days per weekHome Health         Best for medically stable patients         Amount of care depends upon patient acuity         Limited therapy visitsNot all hospitals and home health programs offer the same level or quality of programs, so be sure to ask questions.  Editors Note: This article was written by Connie Buckwalter, corporate Director of Communications & Public Relations with PAM Specialty Hospitals. For more information call Barbara Scriven at 720-618-3938 or email at: bscriven@pamspecialty.com

In a matter of minutes, Danilo Sangco went from being a fully functional 49 year-old to not being able to walk or even use his hand to grip his smart phone.Sangco had a hemorrhagic stroke. Once his medical condition was stabilized at the hospital, his doctors recommended inpatient rehabilitation to help him recover from the stroke.Making the Right ChoiceSangco was skeptical. He thought he could manage and recover through outpatient therapy, but after some consideration, he took his doctors advice.The more I thought about it I knew I needed inpatient rehabilitation, he said. My sister searched all the inpatient centers, and we chose Encompass Health because they had the best reviews. I am glad I made the right choice.When Sangco arrived at the rehabilitation hospital, he couldn't walk and had little movement in his left side. His recovery goals: he wanted to walk again and just feel like himself.I wanted to feel normal again and do the things I normally would be able to do, he said. I wanted to get my left hand and left leg working again and wanted to ultimately be able to work and ride my motorcycle again.Getting Back to NormalSangcos care team used the advanced technologies and equipment at Encompass Health to help him get back on his feet safely.The Vector, a gait and safety technology system, helped Sangco learn to walk again while the systems harness protected him from falling. As his strength increased, he moved to the parallel bars, where he could practice walking with the assistance of his therapy team.Trusting Himself AgainSangco was at Encompass Health for 14 days. He said his care team gave him confidence, something he had little of when he arrived at the rehabilitation hospital.When Sangco left Encompass Health, he was walking again and his balance greatly improved. Thanks to the motivation he received from his Encompass Health care team, he said he was able to trust himself again.Once you have the motivation and dont get discouraged and you trust yourself, thats what creates the biggest impact on your life and recovery, he said.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Lisa Hopkins, OTR/L, of Encompass Health Harmarville Sewickley Kennedy.