A lot of people these days are enjoying a renewed quality of life by discovering that they don't have to put up with the excruciating pain that accompanies having a bad knee or hip.  As I turn the channels of my TV lately I see commercials for new knee replacement joints that will last for 30 years.  This is surely a great thing and here at Maplewood we have become very good at helping patients heal from the surgery and transition with the proper therapy to a full recovery.  Studies have proven that it makes a world of difference if you utilize the services of a facility specializing in rehabilitative therapy following surgery for a joint replacement.

      What patients often don't understand is there is a big difference from one facility to another in accommodations, gym features, staffing, expertise, and choices for treatment.  These factors can mean the difference between a relatively pleasant recovery or one that is quite frankly like a bad dream.  Here are some questions to ask when touring a rehab facility before a joint replacement surgery:

1.  What is the average length of stay for someone having my type of surgery?

2.  Describe for me a typical day here for someone recovering from my kind of joint replacement.

3.  Who will my Therapists be?  Can I meet them now?

4.  What time will my therapy sessions occur?

5.  Will I have my own private room or will I be paired with another patient?

6.  Can I look at your menu and is it possible to have room service if I would like to stay in my room?

      This is by no means an exhaustive list of questions to be asking but it is a good start toward giving the patient an idea of what to expect.  I think if someone toured 6 different facilities one would be surprised at the variety of responses one would hear.  One new Medicare rule that starts in October of 2010 will have a profound effect on therapy in a rehab center.  This rules states that therapists will no longer be able to work with more than one patient at a time.  If they work with more than one patient at a time they can no longer bill for all the time they spend with all the patients they work with in that group as billable time.  An example of this is under the old rule a Therapist could work with three patients at a time and count 1 hour for all three patients.  Under the new rule, if the Therapist works with three patients in an hour only 20 minutes (60 minutes divided by 3) can be counted for each patient.  This will essentially result in each therapist working exclusively one on one with each patient every minute.  In some larger facilities and in certian situations this will result in longer wait times to get treated and extended gym hours.  Programs may start very, very early in the morning and continue into the evening hours.  Some patients may not be concerned about this but for some I think it will make a big difference in comfort and quality of care.  Here at Maplewood, we were esentially doing this new method all along.  Where there was a little bit of overlap from patient to patient we have made adjustments and have already implemented these changes. Rest assured that we won't ask you to do therapy at 5:00 am or 8:00 pm. We can honestly tell our patients that we have the staff and facilities to deliver the therapy services you are looking for on a reasonable schedule.

      Not all facilities are created equal.  Taking the time upfront to ask the right questions will result in you getting the right information to base your rehab facility choice.