Patient & family resources
Understanding care
after the hospital.
The right next step depends on medical needs, rehabilitation needs, available support, and the patient’s goals.
Not everyone needs every type of care. Some patients return directly home; others need more treatment or rehabilitation. These guides help you prepare for conversations with your care team.
Long-term acute care / CRH
Hospital-level treatment in an LTACH, also called a critical recovery hospital (CRH).
Read the guide02Skilled nursing
Skilled nursing and rehabilitation when additional support is needed.
Read the guide03Acute rehabilitation
Intensive rehabilitation with medical supervision and nursing care.
Read the guide04Transitional care
Medical follow-up and coordination after returning to the community.
Read the guideMatching the care to the patient
Different needs.
Different recovery settings.
| Setting | Main medical need | Therapy and pace |
|---|---|---|
| LTACH / CRH | Serious ongoing illness requiring extended hospital care, often with robust respiratory support. | Physical, occupational, speech-language, and respiratory therapy as needed. Shorter sessions paced around medical stability; no single daily rehabilitation-hour target. |
| Acute rehabilitation | Inpatient medical supervision and nursing alongside an intensive, coordinated rehabilitation program. | Multiple therapy disciplines. Generally three hours daily on five days a week, or 15 hours over seven days in well-documented cases. |
| Skilled nursing | Daily skilled nursing or rehabilitation without a need for continued hospital-level care. | Physical, occupational, or speech-language therapy as needed. Usually a less intensive pace; duration is individualized. Rehabilitation-only Medicare stays generally require therapy at least five days weekly. |
More is not always better.
The best setting meets the patient’s medical needs and provides rehabilitation they can safely tolerate and benefit from. A more intensive schedule is not automatically the right choice.
Start a conversation
Five questions
to bring to your care team.
- Why is this setting being recommended?
- Who is responsible for medical decisions?
- What are the current goals of care?
- What needs to happen before the next transition?
- What support will be needed at home?