In response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule regarding new potential updates to the payments and care delivery for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) beginning October 1, 2014, RehabCare submitted formal comments and reactions prior to the June 30 deadline.

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In response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule regarding new potential updates to the payments and care delivery for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) beginning October 1, 2014, Kindred Healthcare, RehabCare’s parents company, and RehabCare submitted formal comments and reactions prior to the June 30 deadline.

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Aphasia is a language disorder that affects nearly one-third of stroke victims. Aphasia occurs when there is damage to the communications hub in the left side of the brain. While aphasia disrupts communication skills, it does not affect a person’s thinking skills. It is critical to watch for signs and symptoms of aphasia following a stroke, and during Aphasia Awareness Month we want to remind people what to look for if a patient or loved one is at increased risk for the disorder.

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A recent nursing home study reaffirms that better staff interaction patterns lead to better resident care and staff satisfaction. Read Full Post

When Kyle, 27, suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a brain tumor, his doctors predicted he would never be himself again. Kyle was bedridden and could not speak or move his limbs. It was assumed that Kyle was not a fit for an inpatient rehabilitation facility, and he was advised to transfer to a nursing facility from a long term acute care hospital (LTACH). Determined to give her a husband a chance with intensive therapy, Kyle’s wife Sarah sought rehabilitation treatment and connected with RehabCare's clinicians at Mercy Health – Fairfield Hospital in Cincinnati.

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What is required to be a great speech therapist? Above-average intelligence, kindness and a team spirit – to name a few. As we honor speech-language pathologists in May for Better Hearing and Speech Month, we reflect on 12 qualities SLPs possess and use in their delivery of care.

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The RehabCare Advocacy Network of therapists and our government relations team traveled to Capitol Hill last week for the 2014 AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing to discuss patient access to medically necessary therapies. The combined services of physical, occupational and speech therapies have the opportunity to provide significant savings to the Medicare program by reducing the risk of rehospitalization and improving functional abilities, but the provision of therapy continues to be threatened by regulatory measures such as Part B therapy caps, changes to group and concurrent therapy, coding changes and the application of the Medical Manual Review (MMR) and Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction policies.

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Across all care settings, an interdisciplinary approach leads to better patient outcomes. This has long been the experience of RehabCare and other clinicians and is also the takeaway of a new position paper published by The American Geriatrics Society. The paper was produced by the Partnership for Health in Aging, a collection of over 30 organizations supported by the American Geriatrics Society who represent healthcare for older adults.

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Throughout the entire healthcare delivery system – including acute and post-acute care – rehabilitation services are critical to achieve the goal of improving the well-being and physical abilities of each individual so that they may enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Regardless of care setting, the provision of physical and occupational therapies and speech-language pathology are an essential component in making recovery and wellness possible.

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A recent Canadian study uncovered that dementia patients are at a heightened risk of death following hip fractures, Provider Magazine reports. The study, conducted over a seven-year period, shows that dementia patients account for “more than four-fifths of hip fractures in long term care centers and nearly one-quarter of hip fractures in the community” and that dementia is associated with an increased risk of death following surgery.

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