When you or a loved one has a rare medical condition, a disability or a severe injury, the right treatment can make a big difference in their quality of life. However, trying to decide if you need inpatient or outpatient medical rehabilitation isn’t always easy. It can seem like they have many things in common, so it’s important to focus on how they differ from one another.
Inpatient treatment, such as medical rehabilitation, can help patients improve their physical well-being through intensive services. Some patients may find more benefits with outpatient medical rehabilitation or a day rehabilitation program.
In this blog post, we’ll share how inpatient and outpatient medical rehabilitation options compare. Then we’ll dive into how an outpatient day program is different from other rehabilitation options. We’ll also discuss how Ability KC provides a wide range of programs while staying outpatient.
Comparing inpatient versus outpatient medical rehabilitation
Medical rehabilitation has the same goal, whether it’s inpatient or outpatient. It gives patients the therapy and services needed to help their physical or cognitive health that has been affected by a rare medical condition, a disability or a severe injury. Medical rehabilitation works to increase independence. Patients improve or develop the physical and cognitive functions needed for daily routines.
Medical rehabilitation can include a variety of therapies, including physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Differences between inpatient versus outpatient medical rehabilitation facilities include:
- Setting — The main difference between outpatient and inpatient is the environment where it takes place. Inpatient medical rehabilitation usually involves a hospital facility. The patient will reside there until treatment is over. Outpatient medical rehabilitation takes place outside of a hospital facility, and patients return home each day after treatment.
- Intensity — Both options have a level of care that focuses on improving a patient’s mental and physical health. However, inpatient medical rehabilitation tends to have more intensive support — in other words, a higher level of care. Outpatient often includes minimal assistance for greater independence.
- Flexibility — Since outpatient medical rehabilitation doesn’t require overnights, patients have flexibility in their treatment. It allows them to still maintain as much of their everyday routines as possible. This flexibility increases their independence. Inpatient medical rehabilitation takes place in a controlled environment, enabling patients to focus completely on their recovery without distractions.
Inpatient medical rehabilitation is often recommended for patients with serious medical conditions, such as stroke. It can also help with sudden severe injuries, like a traumatic brain injury. It can be beneficial for any patient who needs 24/7 care.
Outpatient medical rehabilitation is an effective option for people who need regular therapeutic services. It’s often geared toward ongoing severe medical conditions or injuries.
How an outpatient day program compares to outpatient medical rehabilitation
Now that we’ve talked about medical rehabilitation treatment, let’s compare it to an outpatient day program.
As the name would suggest, an outpatient day program takes place outside of the hospital. However, a day program is still a rehabilitation treatment that has a high level of care. Essentially, a day program provides a more comprehensive, structured treatment than outpatient medical rehabilitation.
An outpatient day program is different from a traditional outpatient medical rehabilitation program in several ways:
- It offers benefits of an inpatient level of care while patients still return home each day.
- It provides an opportunity for additional services, such as individualized therapy.
- It works as a transition following an inpatient medical rehabilitation stay.
At Ability KC, we have many services and treatment options that can be included in a day program plan. Here are just a few:
- Aquatic therapy
- Communication and language groups
- Educational programs
- Fitness groups
- Group sessions
Ability KC provides a wide variety of medical rehabilitation services while staying outpatient
As you can see, every type of medical rehabilitation treatment can be beneficial to patients. Learning the differences can help you work with your healthcare providers to determine the best option. You can consider your needs, challenges and overall goals.
At Ability KC, we make sure that we give individualized treatment with evidence-based practices in every one of our programs. That includes both outpatient day treatments and medical rehabilitation.
Everything we do at Ability KC is done in our outpatient facilities. Our goal is to help patients, and their families, achieve their highest potential. We want to help you have the best quality of life possible.
Ability KC is a designated Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF). We also have a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.