Patient Choice in Recovery Process Comes Into Focus

Montrose Regional Health recognizes the importance of inpatient rehabilitation in recovery from conditions such as strokes, hip fractures, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Patients and their families play a vital role in the recovery process, according to Melissa Lucero, Case Coordinator.

“One of the most important things for patients to realize is that they do have a choice of where they recover after an acute care hospital stay,” Lucero said. “The Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Montrose Regional Health gives our patients the choice to recover close to home.”

The acute inpatient rehabilitation setting also has been shown to produce better results than other levels of care. A 2014 study by Dobson and DaVanzo showed that patients choosing inpatient rehabilitation returned home earlier and had better clinical outcomes than patients at skilled nursing facilities.

Inpatient rehabilitation provides one-on-one therapy and primary nursing care to individualized treatment plans designed to regain maximum functional independence, Lucero said. Under the guidance of William Faragher, M.D., medical director, the team approach at the Montrose ARU helps patients build strength, increase flexibility, and improve mobility. The therapists also retrain patients to carry out the activities of daily living such as grooming, dressing, and food preparation.

“Another important goal of ours is to return the patient to their home, if at all possible,” Lucero said.

When choosing a post-acute recovery setting, Lucero said it’s important for patients to find out what their insurance will cover. Patients with traditional Medicare may have more options than those with a managed care Medicare plan or commercial insurance, she added, and the team at the Montrose ARU can help answer any questions that may arise.

For more information about the Montrose Regional Health Acute Rehabilitation Unit, Lucero may be reached at 970-252-2996.