When seniors begin searching for the best fit in rehabilitation care, it pays to focus on facilities that specialize in short-term rehab for the elderly. Finding caregivers with the right expertise helps ensure a fuller, quicker recovery. Short-term rehab for the elderly offers other key benefits, as well, including a peer group of like-minded patients all working toward the same ultimate goal. Why Experience Matters in Providing Short-term Rehab for Elderly Short-term rehab for the elderly is most effective when it is provided by experienced professionals who understand the unique set of medical challenges seniors face. Those challenges include strain on aging bodies and minds, which necessitates prioritizing physical and emotional health as seniors work to regain their independence after an injury, illness or hospital stay. Natural loss of physical strength, feelings of powerlessness and isolation, difficulty reaching out for critical assistance—these can characterize seniors' physical and psychological profiles even before they confront an acute medical problem, and seasoned providers of short-term rehab for the elderly are skilled at helping them confront and cope with these issues in a positive and productive way. Characteristics of High-quality Short-term Rehab for Elderly It is important to take a methodical approach to evaluating short-term rehab for the elderly. Seniors and their caregivers should look at their options with an eye toward determining which one will provide them with the best: Individualized care24-hour skilled nursing servicesWellness and enrichmentSubacute careFamily and discharge planning services Choosing Short-term Rehab for Elderly that Meets Specific Needs Also essential in selecting short-term rehab for the elderly is making sure it can accommodate seniors' specific needs for services such as: Orthopedic rehabilitationOccupational therapyPhysical therapySpeech and language therapyNeurological rehabilitation

Many seniors are able to use Medicare to access high-quality, short-term rehab. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease. Short-term rehab falls under Medicare Part A, and seniors can work with short-term rehab administrators to determine whether the government-provided insurance covers the services they need. What to Know About Short-term Rehab and Medicare Medicare Part A covers short-term rehab under certain conditions—and for a limited amount of time— in a skilled nursing facility. Among the short-term rehab services allowed under Medicare are: Skilled nursing carePhysical and occupational therapyMedicationSpeech-language pathology servicesMealsSemi-private roomMedical supplies and equipment used in the facility Short-term Rehab and Medicare: How Patients Qualify Medicare will cover short-term rehab if patients meet specific criteria—and assuming the skilled nursing facility in question is Medicare-certified. Those criteria include: Patients must have Medicare Part A and have days remaining to use in their benefit period.There must be a qualifying hospital stay—an inpatient stay of three consecutive days or more.The services needed at a skilled nursing facility must be ordered by a physician.Patients must require the care on a daily basis, and the services provided must require inpatient residence at a skilled nursing facility.The care required must be for a medical condition that was treated during a qualifying three-day hospital stay—or that began while the patient was receiving skilled nursing care for a medical condition that was treated during a qualifying three-day hospital stay.The services must be deemed reasonable and necessary. Making the Most of Short-term Rehab and Medicare Seniors should feel comfortable engaging with the staff of their short-term rehab of choice to discuss Medicare and a host of related issues such as how their care is planned and their rights and protections under the law.

Finding a good short-term rehabilitation definition can help seniors determine whether short-term rehab is right for them. Understanding the range of options available makes it easier to achieve the best fit. There are many short-term rehabilitation definitions out there, but they all boil down to the same basic points. What Is the Right Definition of Short-term Rehabilitation? Recovering from an injury, illness, medical procedure, or acute hospital stay can take time. The definition of short-term rehabilitation is a suite of inpatient services designed to help seniors and others recoup their strength and prepare to regain their independence and resume their former lives. Patients in short-term rehab benefit from rehabilitative and skilled nursing care, typically offered in a warm, nurturing, technologically state-of-the-art environment that focuses on physical, occupational, and speech therapies, as well as addressing other critical needs. Expanding Short-term Rehabilitation Definitions Some providers of short-term rehab are better equipped—and more experienced—than others. Their expertise expands the definition of short-term rehabilitation to include addressing seniors' emotional well-being; catering to their unique nutritional needs; and enabling them to have a positive outlet for socializing and staying intellectually engaged. Identifying these providers takes asking pointed questions and talking to others who have utilized the service. The Limitations of Short-term Rehabilitation Definitions Sometimes, what people understand as the definition of short-term rehabilitation does not translate well in practice. Promotional literature can be helpful in evaluating a short-term rehab, but there is no substitute for seeing it in person and getting a first-hand sense of how rhetoric matches up with reality. Consider touring a facility to build your own definition of short-term rehabilitation and ensure you are making an informed choice of care providers.

November is National Family Caregivers Month. It's a time for us all to thank the caregivers who do so much. Did you know this about caregivers? Today, over 90 million Americans are caregivers for their loved ones. Many provide care 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.The average family caregiver is a working mother of school-aged children.Up to 70% of the time, the family caregiver—not the patient—manages medications.Six out of 10 family caregivers work full- or part-time. Most say they have to cut back on working hours, take a leave of absence, or quit their job entirely to give care. Although caregiving can be a rewarding experience, it can lead to stress, poor health, and burnout. Here are a few ways you can show your appreciation to the caregivers in your lives: Tell them how much you appreciate all their efforts. And tell them you love themEncourage them to make time for themselves in order to protect their own healthSend them a card or bouquet of flowersGo online and purchase a gift card to a bookstore, coffee shop, or museumWho doesn't like a nice meal? Send them a gift certificate for their favorite restaurantOffer a bit of respite care for your busy caregivers. Volunteer a few hours of your time a week to help them out—and to allow them some free time for themselves These and other actions can help ensure that the caregivers in your life maintain their strength, energy, stamina, and positive attitude. So, this November, let's all take the time to show our appreciation for the caregivers in our lives—the ones who do so much to improve our quality of life.

Last week former President George W. Bush warned against the "casual cruelty" in our nation's discourse these days. He was warning against caustic language and damaging words. Words have been on my mind all month because at this time of year, the Torah focuses upon their power. Take the opening passages of the Torah itself, in which the world is created via language: "Yehi Or!" "Let there be light!" Yes, in our telling of the creation story, the universe comes into existence by way of verbal utterance. Our "Big Bang" is a big pronouncement. This is not to refute science. It is to teach us that words are so powerful that they can create worlds. We also know that words are powerful enough to destroy. Consider how on the playground children will defend themselves against mean spirited language by saying, "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me." It is a clever response but completely untrue. Few adults remember the physical pain from a scratch or scrape the way that they remember the sting of mean words hurled at them. The second Torah portion, Noah, tells yet another story about speech. The Tower of Babel is built by people ambitious to reach the heavens. In an effort to explain why the earth is filled with so many different languages, the story goes that God adds languages to humanity to deter people from communicating well enough to grab too much power. But my favorite Jewish text on the subject of speech is found in our prayer book. After the Amida, an extremely long prayer that is said both to oneself as well as aloud during Jewish prayer services, we come upon the following text: "My God. Guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile. And to those who slander me, let me give no heed. May my soul be humble and forgiving to all. Open my heart, O Eternal, to Your sacred law, that Your statues I may know and all Your truth pursue…May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, O Eternal, my Rock and my Redeemer." In this prayer, known as the "Elohai," we seek to avoid misusing our tongues and mouths to speak bad words about others. Is this just a prayer for avoiding gossip? Or is it more? How do we wish to use our "air time" with people, especially those closest to us? Do we want to waste a lot of time venting about others, speaking negatively to or about people, or do we want to use our "air time" elevating those around us with words of praise, gratitude and encouragement? I have always believed that the reason that religious prayers offer praise of God and words of thanksgiving and awe is not because God needs to get a compliment. These prayers are designed to have us practice saying beautiful and kind things—for ourselves and each other. Rabbi Karen BenderSkirball Director of Spiritual [email protected]

From its humble beginnings in 1912, the Los Angeles Jewish Home has grown to become one of the largest providers of senior healthcare services in Los Angeles. Through our innovative Connections to Care® program, each year thousands of seniors benefit from the Home's community-based and in-residence programs. By calling our hotline at (855) 227-3745, you can connect to expert professional Jewish Home staff to access our full continuum of services.In-Home and Community Health Services PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) enables frail seniors with multiple health conditions to live safely at home. Among the program's many services are adult day healthcare; primary and specialty medical care; vision and dental care; medications; physical, occupational and speech therapy; transportation; acute care; home health care and caregiving. The program serves participants age 55 and over who live in the Jewish Home's service area.Jewish Home Care Services offers a full spectrum of restorative services in the individual's home. Clients are referred by a physician's written order, and treatments are provided according to a plan of care jointly developed by the referring physician, the person receiving care, the caregiver, and others. Home health care services are available to adults over 19 years of age in the Greater Los Angeles Area.Jewish Home Center for Palliative Medicine provides comprehensive pain and symptom management for adults with serious, chronic, and/or life-limiting illness. Our team of professionals addresses the medical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of our patients.The Geriatric Community Clinic is located on the Jewish Home's Eisenberg Village campus in Reseda. The clinic provides primary and specialty medical care to seniors.Skirball Hospice provides compassionate end-of-life care for adults with a life-limiting illness in the Greater Los Angeles area. Skirball Hospice treats patients in their home or care facility. Hospice care includes pain management, medical equipment, supplies, and personal care. Our staff members work as an integrated team, including nurses, chaplains, social workers, registered dieticians, and certified home health aides.Short-Term Care at the Jewish HomeThe Ida Kayne Transitional Care Unit (TCU) is designed to help seniors successfully recover from an illness, injury, medical procedure, or acute hospital stay. The TCU provides short-term rehabilitative and skilled nursing care. Patients in the TCU receive treatment from physicians and geriatric specialists in physical, occupational, and speech therapy. The average length of stay ranges between two to six weeks. When possible, TCU seniors discharged home may transition with short-term skilled nursing and/or rehabilitative therapies through Jewish Home Care Services.Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit (AGPU) is certified to treat both voluntary and involuntary admissions, AGPU provides short-term geriatric psychiatric care to individuals over the age of 55 who are experiencing stressful mental or emotional challenges that require intensive, short-term acute hospital psychiatric care. Most commonly treated diagnoses are depression, bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disease (PTSD), schizophrenia, delirium, and Alzheimer's or other age-related dementia with behavioral disturbance. The average length of stay is 10-14 days. The primary care physician is kept informed during the patient's stay, and follow-up appointments are made with the patient's physician as a part of the discharge plan.Long-Term Care at the Jewish HomeIndependent Senior Housing is available at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village and Fountainview at Gonda Westside. Both are licensed as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) and are designed for active independent senior living. Fountainview residents have easy access to assisted living services in their unit (as needed), as well as priority access to the Home's skilled nursing facilities.Residential Care is currently available at Eisenberg Village in Reseda for seniors over 65 years of age, independently mobile, and mentally alert. Residential care includes meals, medication management, social services, chaplaincy, fitness and recreational activities, transportation, and many educational programs.The Goldenberg•Ziman Special Care Center (G•Z) is among the most advanced of its kind in the world. The Center is designed to provide exceptional skilled nursing care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and age-related dementia.Skilled Nursing Care is offered at our Grancell and Eisenberg Village campuses. Long-term skilled nursing services play a critical role in stabilizing and improving seniors' health and enhancing their quality of life and sense of well-being.To learn more about Connections to Care® and the programs and services of the Jewish Home, please call (855) 227-3745 or visit our website at www.lajh.org.

As we recover from an illness, injury, medical procedure or acute hospital stay, short-term rehab can be a crucial ally in putting us on the road to wellness. For seniors, this is especially true: The support short-term rehab provides is often a key factor in helping them regain self-sufficiency and return to their own homes or communities as quickly as possible. The Advantages of Short-term Rehab. Seniors working to get back on their feet can reap enormous benefits from short-term rehab. A surgery, illness or medical episode can leave seniors lacking the vital strength they need to care for themselves, and working with medical professionals who specialize in short-term rehab can help them rebuild that strength, restore their confidence, and prepare to reclaim their former independence. How Short-term Rehab Helps Short-term rehab serves as a bridge for seniors – facilitating their transition between hospital and home. It is geared to treat a broad range of conditions including: Joint replacement rehabilitationOrthopedic post-hospitalization careStroke and neurological rehabilitationPost-medical and post-surgical recoveryAdaptive equipment instruction and conditioning In short-term rehab, seniors focus on regaining critical function and recovering their physical, sensory and mental capabilities. They receive a wide variety of therapies and nursing services as they heal and make progress toward their ultimate goal: getting home as quickly as possible. A number of things to keep in mind while evaluating potential options for short-term rehab are: Defining short-term rehabKnowing what to look for in a short-term rehab facilityHoming in on short-term rehab that specializes in serving the elderlyFinding a short-term rehab that accepts Medicare Short-term Rehab at the Jewish Home When it comes to effective short-term rehab, the Jewish Home offers unparalleled expertise. Seniors in the Home’s Transitional Care Unit (TCU) are cared for by physicians and geriatric specialists in physical, occupational, and speech therapy. They also enjoy full access to all of the Home’s cutting-edge clinical and support services. The Jewish Home short-term rehab team integrates state-of-the-art medical care and prescribed therapies with personal coaching, counseling, and nutritional guidance. Seniors spend an average of two to six weeks in the TCU, though the unit accommodates stays of up to 90 days. For more information about short-term rehabilitative care and physical therapy at the Jewish Home, please contact our Connections to Care® hotline at (855) 227-3745.

National Physical Therapy Month is commemorated each October by the American Physical Therapy Association. The goal of this month-long celebration is to raise awareness of the important role physical therapists and physical therapy assistants play in helping people decrease pain, improve mobility, and engage in healthy lifestyles. A physical therapist is a trained and licensed medical professional specializing in diagnosing physical abnormalities, maintaining and restoring mobility, and promoting physical activity and function. Licensed physical therapists work in a variety of healthcare settings including outpatient offices, private practices, hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, home health, sports and fitness settings, schools, hospices, occupational settings, government agencies, research centers…and the Los Angeles Jewish Home. Physical therapists treat a wide range of medical conditions: sports-related injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, neurological disorders, and much more. Physical therapy is particularly beneficial for seniors, especially after they've had a stroke, knee or hip replacement or other surgery, or are recovering from a fall. Are you in pain? Do you need a licensed physical therapist? Ask your doctor to refer you to the Los Angeles Jewish Home. Noah S. Marco, M.D., Jewish Home Chief Medical Officer, says, "We offer a wide range of physical therapy programs, including therapeutic exercise and fitness training, massage, and thermal therapy. All in a comforting, welcoming environment. We'll help get you back on your feet." To learn more about physical therapy at the Jewish Home, please call our Connections to Care® hotline at (855) 227-3745.

October is Long-Term Care Planning Month. If you're a senior and haven't started planning, it's time to begin! Plan now while you have time to choose how and where you receive care, if needed, in the future. That's something your family will also appreciate. What exactly is long-term care? Long-term care refers to services and support you may need to meet your personal care needs. Most long-term care is not medical care, but rather assistance with the basic personal tasks of everyday life, sometimes called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). These include bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking), eating, and maintaining continence. Who needs long-term care? 70% of people age 65+ can expect to use some form of long-term care during their lives. Women are more likely to need long-term care than men because they outlive men by an average of five years. Who provides long-term care? Many people receive long-term care from family or friends in the comfort of their home. Also, services are offered by public and private organizations, such as home care agencies: home-delivered meals, supervised adult day programs, plus the assistance of visiting nurses, therapists, or home care aides. Some people decide to move to a long-term care facility, including: Continuing care retirement communities, which typically offer services such as housekeeping and diningAssisted living, for people who need help with personal care like bathing or getting dressedAround-the-clock care at a nursing home for people with greater health-related needsWho pays for long-term care? Long-term care can be costly, and most health insurance plans, Medicare, and even Medicaid don't cover many fees. Planning on planning long-term care? Make the Los Angeles Jewish Home part of your long-term care plan. Our senior-focused Connections to Care® program can connect you to the type of long-term care you may need: residential care, independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer's disease and dementia care, and skilled nursing. Even though October is Long-Term Care Planning Month, in reality, every month should be. Because the best time to plan for long-term care is before you need it. The best time is now! To learn more about long-term care at the Jewish Home, click here or call our Connections to Care® hotline at (855) 227-3745.