Rehab Centre After Hospital Stay

[Barquentine]

My F-i-L has now been discharged from hospital and eventually made it back home (with us). Ambulance took him to his wife's address by mistake (though hospital has our address and all letters from them come to us). The doctor had applied for him to go to some rehab centre (now sure what it is called) to build his strength up. He is very thin and weak compared to when he went into hospital. But he told us F-i-L did not meet criteria for the rehab place because he is not weak enough. He can walk if aided by one person. Is that doctor being nice to us and putting a euphemistic spin on things to avoid saying he is too weak for rehab? Just how weak have you got to be to qualify for rehab? I tend to believe the opposite if what people are telling me. My wife trusts what she is told, but the doctor may just be trying to be kind?

[ummmm]

Rehab centres aren't like hospitals in my experience. When my uncle went into rehab he was in a self contained flat so there won't be people keeping an eye on him 24/7. If he can't move without assistance it'll be a risky place for him to stay.

Did they not try and build his strength up in hospital?

If rehab is definitely not an option you should be given a sheet with daily exercises to do at home.

[woofgang]

Ask the doc, or whoever, how "weak" he would have to be to go to "rehab" and what would happen there? In my (admittedly) dated experience, rehab need is defined by the persons life outside the hospital and whether its thought possible to get them back to it if that is what they want. Rehab doesn't "build strength up" like a gym does.

[Barquentine]

A couple of physio people just came round to assess him for some exercises at home. They'll be back tomorrow. They said that what we were told is correct. If he can manage at home with our help then there's no need for the rehab place. They also said they like to minimise numbers of people going there at the present time for the reasons we all know about. Thanks very much for your answers though.