It can be difficult to choose rehabilitation facilities, and some people may not have an overwhelming choice. They may be limited to a handful of facilities by an insurance company, or sometimes location can limit other people. What can certainly be chosen is type of facility, since some of these rehab places won’t suit the needs of everyone.
Drug rehabilitation facilities are usually especially for the treatment of drug and/or alcohol addiction. Some are for only one and not the other, so people investigating these programs may want to ascertain what addictions they treat. Program length can be different at varying facilities and some may feel they need a lot of time while others want to return to pursuing regular life as soon as possible, which can help influence choice. People can look at philosophies on quitting addiction to see if they’ll be acceptable; for instance, an atheist is unlikely to benefit from a strongly religious program. It may be necessary to evaluate cost, and also to check with an insurer about benefits available for this form of treatment.
Rehabilitation facilities that are for physical injury may have certain forms of specialization. Those looking for a hospital for the recovering stroke patient should look for one experienced in providing this care. Early intervention with therapies has often been shown to be most effective in regaining function, and if a hospital cannot provide this, it might be better to find a facility that can. Similarly, treatment for loss of extremities needs certain kinds of things, like those knowledgeable in working with patients who will use prosthetics. Other types of specialized care might be required for those with paralysis.
Once verifying that a well-reviewed program exists to address certain kinds of issues, the next step in choosing rehabilitation facilities might be to do a little looking around. Look for cleanliness first. Many of these facilities are a type of step down hospital, and if patients seem uncared for or if no attention is paid to maintaining clean conditions, look for some place else if feasible. People can get secondary infections and illnesses in hospitals of all types, and this risk worsens when basic hygiene isn’t being observed. It may be possible too to get a patient transferred to a different facility if this seems a real concern.
Another thing to look for in rehabilitation facilities is the degree to which questions are being answered. If doctors can’t/won’t speak in a friendly manner to the patient or anyone caring for the patient, this is a cause for concern. When people need rehabilitation, they are usually recovering from stressful illness or injury, and those who love them may have experienced extreme stress too. The sensitive doctor and/or therapist recognizes this and appropriately involves caretaker family members in this process, though when a patient is adult and fully competent, he or she may still be the primary decision maker on care.
Lastly, if people have several choices and no time to investigate, consider phoning a trusted doctor, like a family doctor and asking for a recommendation. Also don’t discount recommendations made by treating doctors of the patient in need of rehab. They have good information too, and want to see that their patients receive the best rehabilitative care and recover to the best of their abilities.
