Acute Inpatient Rehab Hospital vs. Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
How you live tomorrow depends on where you rehab today
Your doctor may recommend going into rehab after discharge from the hospital. That means that before going home, you'll stay for a period of time at a facility where you will participate in a physical rehabilitation program that can help you regain strength, mobility, and other physical and cognitive functions. Before you decide on where to rehab, check the facts.
Skilled nursing facilitysub-acute care |
Acute inpatient rehab hospitalacute care |
| Length of stay | |
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The national average length of time spent at a skilled nursing facility rehab is 28 days. |
The national average length of time spent at an acute inpatient rehab hospital is 16 days. |
| Amount (and intensity) of therapy | |
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In a skilled nursing facility you’ll receive one or more therapies for an average of one to two hours per day. This includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy. The therapies are not considered intensive. |
In an acute inpatient rehab hospital you’ll receive a minimum of three hours per day, five days a week, of intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Your therapy is provided by rehab specialists who incorporate advanced technologies and approaches into your regimen. |
| Physician involvement | |
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An attending physician provides a comprehensive initial assessment within 30 days of your admission into a skilled nursing facility. An attending physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner is only required to visit you once every 30 days. |
Physician care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A rehabilitation physician will visit you at least three times per week to assess your goals and progress. |
| Nursing care | |
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A registered nurse is required to be in the building and on duty for eight hours a day. More often, patients are seen by certified nurse aides. A registered nurse is available in the evening and off hours. The nurse-to-patient ratio is one nurse aide to 20 to 30 patients. |
Nursing care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by registered nurses as well as Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN). The nurse-to-patient ratio is one nurse to six or seven patients. |
| Treatment team | |
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In addition to a monthly visit from an attending physician, you may receive additional visits from a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist. Sub-acute teams include physical, occupational, and speech therapists, and a case manager. |
Your highly trained, multidisciplinary personal rehab team, consisting of rehabilitation physicians, internal medicine physicians, nurses, therapists, care managers, dietitians, psychologists and family members, work together to help determine goals and the best individualized treatment approaches for you. |
Which rehab is right for you? |
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Skilled nursing facility |
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital |
Come see if Bryn Mawr Rehab is right for you. Visit our beautiful grounds and learn about our state-of-the-art technology and therapeutic amenities that distinguish us from every other rehab hospital in the Philadelphia region.
Request a tour of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital