How to choose a Rehabilitation Hospital

If you’re like most people, you don’t want to think about ever having to find comprehensive rehabilitation services for yourself or a loved one.  Often, however, families are faced with finding a rehabilitation program in times of need such as when there’s been an accident, necessary surgery or an illness.  The extent and speed of a patient’s recovery, the patient’s comfort during the rehabilitation process, and the ability for the family to be involved all depend to an important degree on the facility that is chosen.  

If you need to find a comprehensive rehabilitation facility, ask the following questions, which will enable you to compare Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center’s capabilities with other facilities.  These questions are based on and adapted from A Guide to Choosing a Comprehensive Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation Facility, copyright 1987, and reprinted with permission from the American Hospital Association.  

Is the facility big enough and complete enough?  

In May of 2006, Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center opened a brand new state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility solely designed to provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.  The inpatient unit includes the spacious and fully equipped Zihni Yilmaz, M.D. Gymnasium as well as the Activities of Daily Living Room with a home-like kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom.  The outpatient gymnasium has 2,225 square feet of treatment space, a pediatric treatment room, an aquatic therapy pool, and private treatment rooms.   

How well designed and equipped is the facility?

Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center offers a full range of equipment and physical facilities to meet patients’ varying needs, including:  

Is the facility able to meet all of our needs?

Ask if there are clinical staff onsite who have specific knowledge and experience in these areas:

Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center has all of the above programs onsite and has consultants available in neurology, urology, psychology, psychiatry, orthopedics, pulmonary medicine, dental medicine, ophthalmology, podiatry, orthotic and prosthetic services, and chemical dependency and addiction.  

The Medical Director, Dr. Yilmaz , is a Board Certified Physician in Internal Medicine, and has more than 10 years of rehabilitation experience.  

How much therapy is offered?

Each inpatient receives a minimum of three hours of therapy per day provided seven days per week.  Therapy schedules are tailored to every patient taking into consideration each patient’s functional abilities and endurance. 

The amount of therapy outpatients receive varies based on the patient’s individual needs.  Outpatients receive therapy one to five times per week with each therapy session lasting 30 to 60 minutes. 

Is the facility accredited?

Be sure the facility you choose meets the following standards of excellence for patient care, as Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center does:

        Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Joint Commission)

How focused is the facility on rehabilitation?

Ask to see the facility’s mission statement.  Evaluate the values and principles as to service delivery.  Rehabilitation is the primary mission of Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center .  Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center offers the most comprehensive rehabilitation services in southwest Michigan .

Does the family have a dependable way to monitor the patient’s care?

Caregiver training and educational family meetings with the treatment team are a routine part of the rehab process at Southwest to ensure that our patients and their caregivers are prepared before discharge home. 

A passcode is assigned to each patient at admission which, with the patient’s permission, allows family members and friends to have access to progress and updates while in rehab.

What is the plan for a patient’s return home?

The Southwest team works to help all patients return safely to their homes.  84% of our patients regained their independence and returned home in 2005.

Our team collaborates with each patient to set appropriate discharge goals, taking into consideration the patient’s expected progress and support at home.  Caregiver training is completed to ensure that caregivers are capable of meeting the patient’s needs at home.  Home evaluations are completed prior to discharge, as appropriate, and recommendations for equipment and home safety are made to reduce barriers and increase independence.   

Do you still have more questions?

You may still have questions and we encourage you to call 269-965-3206 to speak with one of our team members that specializes in inpatient or outpatient admissions. 

 
Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center
393 E. Roosevelt
Battle Creek, Michigan  49017
269.965.3206

 
sjj