What Should I Bring With Me During My Stay?
A stay in a rehabilitation hospital is very different from a stay in an acute care hospital. In an acute care hospital you are expected to spend time in your room-the emphasis there is on the ongoing medical management of your condition.

Recovery at a rehabilitation hospital, however, is an active process that involves getting out of bed and moving about as soon as possible. Because your rehabilitation program will frequently focus on therapy in the form of exercise and mobility training, you should plan to wear your own comfortable clothes that are loose and allow freedom of movement; in general, sweat suits or exercise clothes are best.

Your clothes should be washable, since you will be responsible for your own laundry. Your family can take your clothes home or wash them here. As a general guideline bring a week’s supply.

For your convenience, below is a suggested list of items to bring with you.

• Toilet articles, cosmetics, shaving supplies 
• Underwear 
• Socks 
• Pajamas 
• Bathrobe 
• Exercise Clothes 
• At least one sweater 
• Bedroom Slippers 
• At least one pair of sneakers or other low-heeled, rubber-soled shoes for exercise 
• A coat during cold weather for car transfers 
• Any clothes that you may want for non-therapy hours Please bring any special equipment or assistive devices including: 

• Wheelchairs 
• Crutches 
• Artificial limbs 
• Splints 
• Eyeglasses 
• Hearing aid 
• Dentures

What Will Happen On The Day of Arrival?
On the day of admission, please arrive at the admissions office in the morning, unless other arrangements have been made. We realize that if you are coming from another facility, your arrival time may be pre-arranged.

If you are coming from another hospital and need transportation, you can call the social work or case management department there to arrange for ambulance service.

Upon your arrival, one of our admissions representatives will welcome you, begin processing your admission and orienting you to our facility so you will know your way around during your stay.

It is very important that you bring your insurance identification cards with you. We will photocopy them so we can process your insurance claim forms.

A relative or friend should accompany you to assist with your admission and should plan to spend at least a half day with you.

For identification purposes, we will issue you a wristband at the time of your admission. We ask that you wear it at all times.

Will I Have a Private Room?
Room assignments are based upon medical and equipment needs, infection control issues and roommate compatibility. Although we will make every attempt to ensure your comfort and privacy, private rooms are limited and can only be assigned when medically necessary.

What is the Billing Procedure and Payment Policy?
We know that the financial aspect of a hospital stay can be very complex, and we want to help in whatever way we can. Below is the basic information about our billing procedures and our payment policies. If you have further questions or if a problem arises, we also have a staff financial advisor who can help you navigate the often complicated and confusing issues about bills and insurance coverage. This person is here as a resource for you and can be reached by calling (610) 640-3990.

• Admission:
  When you arrive for admission you will need to 1). Provide your insurance identification cards, and 2). Sign all admission and release forms.
  
  If, before your arrival, it was determined that certain charges will not be covered by your insurance, payment arrangements will have already been made for you by our financial advisor. In some cases, this may mean payment of these charges at the time of admission.

• Charges:
  Your room, board, nursing care, routine supplies, case management services and recreational activities are included in one bill as your daily service charge.
  
  A separate bill is generated for physician charges. Other medical consultative services also may be ordered for you by your physician. Most of these services are not part of your daily hospital bill and will be billed to you directly by the physician.
  
  Please refer questions about these charges to the financial advisor. Some may not be covered by your insurance and will be your responsibility.
  
  Individual and group therapy treatments plus special tests, examinations or treatments ordered by the physician (such as electrocardiogram or lab tests) also require additional charges. These are covered by most insurance companies.

• Billing:
  Once you have provided us with the required forms and signatures, we will bill your insurance company or HMO directly. There are several kinds of bills: one for hospital-provided services, another for physician services, and one for psychology services. Bryn Mawr Rehab sends out one bill with your hospital charges on it either at the end of your stay or at the end of each month of your stay.
  
  Blue Cross, Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance companies will pay Bryn Mawr Rehab directly with proper authorization from you, the insured person. The forms you will sign upon admission will include these insurance authorization forms.
  
  If you are covered under an HMO policy, special admission procedures must be followed to secure coverage at Bryn Mawr Rehab. As a general rule, admissions must be authorized in advance by the HMO. Contact your primary physician, the HMO or the Bryn Mawr Rehab admissions department for specific requirements.
  
  

Can I Still Be Admitted Without Health Insurance?
Patients without health care insurance are asked to make a pre-admission deposit. Our financial advisor can estimate this charge for you.

If you remain a full week or more, an estimated bill can be sent to you weekly. Our financial advisor can help you arrange payment.

In case of a liability claim, you are expected to pay the account in full upon discharge. Frequently, liability claims require negotiation or litigation that may delay settlement until long after you have been discharged. Our financial department will process your claim when the necessary forms are supplied by you. If an insurance company makes payment to the hospital after you have paid the bill in full, a reimbursement will be promptly sent out to you.

If you need further information please contact the staff financial advisor at (610) 640-3990.

• Physician: Rehabilitative Care for a person with a brain injury is usually directed by two physicians: an attending rehabilitation physician, who directs and coordinates the rehabilitation process, and a consulting primary care physician, who prevents acute medical conditions from interfering with the patient's rehabilitation. The rehabilitation physician will either be a physiatrist (a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation) or a behavioral neurologist ( a specialist in the management of patients with cognitive or behavioral difficulties following a brain injury). The primary care physician is either an internal medicine physician or a family practice physician.

• Rehabilitation Nurse: Rehabilitation nurses combine traditional patient care skills with expertise in rehabilitation nursing. A primary rehabilitation nurse is assigned to each patient to help plan and implement the nursing care received on the unit where the patient will stay. This nurse will also reinforce the skills learned in different therapies by helping the patient practice them on the unit. Primary rehabilitation nurses are registered nurses (RNs) and are supported by a staff that includes licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistants (NAs).

• Case Manager: A case manager will be assigned to each patient. The case manager serves as a liaison among the patient, the family, the insurance company, and the treatment team. One of their main roles is to assist you with the decision-making process regarding your family member's discharge. Throughout the program, the case manager will discuss options with you about after-care, will share resource information, and may make suggestions about or a referral to an appropriate follow-up facility or agency.

• Recreational Therapist: Recreational therapists help patients re-enter the community by applying practical skills to real-life situations. They address areas such as time management, healthy lifestyle practices, leisure interests and problem solving for community barriers. When appropriate, therapy takes place in a community setting.

• Psychologist: While psychological strengthening is a vital part of the rehabilitation program, recovery also involves attention to emotional and cognitive needs. Our psychologists have been specially trained to assess and discuss the special concerns that a brain injured person may have. The psychologist usually sees the patient several times a week in both individual and group therapies. The support and problem-solving provided in individual, group and family therapy also may help the whole family improve stress management and coping abilities.

• Neuropsychologist: Neuropsychologists, specialists in understanding brain behavior relationships, are also a part of the treatment team. Neuropsychologists use standardized neuropsychological and psychological tests to help identify deficits and clarify the patient's cognitive, vocational, and interpersonal goals.

• Cognitive Rehabilitation Specialist: Cognitive remediation provides re-education and retraining to address the cognitive deficits that can follow a brain injury or neurological condition which may affect a person's work, school, and home life. Typically, cognitive remediation focuses on improving or helping the patient compensate for problems in one or more of the following cognitive skills: attention, concentration, orientation, memory, logical reasoning, speed of processing, problem solving, visual-spatial skills, organization, and academic skills. Based on an individual's specific needs, a treatment plan will be created with a certified special education teacher, who then will be the ongoing therapist.

• Registered Dietitian: Recovery may involve a change in diet to help decrease any health risks associated with brain injury and increase an overall sense of well-being. A registered dietitian can help create a personalized nutrition program that will fill dietary needs as well as address specific therapeutic goals and choice.

• Communication Disorders Therapist: The goal of the communication disorders therapy is to help your family member with communicating and eating. Also called a speech/language pathologist, this clinician will work with the individual with a brain injury to improve all of the processes involved in communication.

• Occupational Therapist: The goal of the occupational therapist is to help regain the skills needed for daily life and work. The therapist will evaluate the individual's ability to perform the tasks he or she wishes to do: self-care functions such as dressing, grooming, and bathing; and work, school, and home management skills such as shopping, cooking, budgeting, and leisure activities. The occupational therapist also works with the patient to assess and make adaptations for home, work, school, and other environments. He or she will work with the treatment team to recommend any adaptive equipment needed after discharge.

• Physical Therapist: The goal of physical therapy is to regain the physical mobility, strength and endurance needed to lead an independent life. An initial evaluation will assess strengths and needs. Physical therapy relies on education and specific treatment methods (called modalities) that include exercises given in both individual and group sessions.