Senior Living In Convalescent Homes

What Is a Convalescent Home?

A convalescent home is staffed by medical professionals and provides short-term care and recovery for patients after surgeries and long-term illnesses. These facilities can be freestanding hospitals or hospital-based units. They are considered a lower-level extension of hospital care. A convalescent home can also be referred to as an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), rehabilitation hospital, or skilled nursing facility (SNF).

Patients needing convalescent homes are typically recovering from strokes, injuries, or operations. The time spent in care ranges from a few days to six months or more. The benefits include bed, meals, medical and nursing support, lab tests, X-rays, pharmaceuticals, supplies, and other diagnostic or therapeutic services.

It can be easy to confuse nursing homes with convalescent homes, but they are not quite the same. Convalescent homes are intended for short-term recovery where rehab services (physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.) are provided with the goal of returning the patient back to their home. Alternatively, nursing homes are generally intended for long-term stays for older adults who can no longer manage daily tasks on their own.

When Is a Convalescent Home Needed?

Your doctor and a convalescent care doctor will work together to assess your needs. To give you an idea of specific instances of care that require a convalescent home, let's look at the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA).1

This law states that at least 60 percent of patients a convalescent care facility admits must have one or more of the following conditions:

• Stroke
• Spinal cord injury
• Congenital deformity
• Amputation
• Major multiple trauma
• Hip fracture
• Brain injury
• Neurological disorder (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's)
• Burns
• Three arthritis conditions for which appropriate, aggressive, and sustained outpatient therapy has failed
• Joint replacement for both knees or hips when the surgery immediately precedes admission, when body mass index is ≥50, or age is 85 or above

Types of Convalescent Care

Generally, there are two convalescent care categories: subacute and post-acute.

Subacute care is provided for patients who have received acute care (active, short-term medical care for serious trauma or illness) and still need medical or rehab care. For instance, subacute care can help patients return to the hospital after recovering from a broken hip.

Post-acute care assists patients transitioning from the hospital back to their homes. Services include home nursing, personal care, and home health care.

Convalescent Home Staff

Each patient receives the care and therapy needed based on their particular condition as prescribed by a doctor. The facility's staff can be made up of physicians, psychologists, rehab nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, recreational therapists, case managers, dieticians, and even clergy members.

Each professional is tasked with meeting a specific need. For instance, a nurse will monitor your medical needs on a 24-hour basis and help you understand what to expect each day. You can also talk to your nurse about specific pain and discomfort issues you’re experiencing.

Other key members of your team who are not staffers are your family and friends. These loved ones can be actively involved with your recovery while you're in a convalescent home.

Convalescent Homes: A Sample Schedule

At a convalescent home, a team of medical professionals collaborates with you to build a care plan that meets your personal goals and abilities. This is a good time to get friends and family members involved, should you desire. These loved ones can even participate in your therapy sessions.

Therapy is typically scheduled Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, you can attend a church service or enjoy a free day with friends and family. Here are the kinds of therapy you’ll encounter in convalescent care:

• Occupational therapy consists of coordinating your physical and mental abilities with activities of daily living like bathing and dressing. The goal is to get you as independent as possible.
• Speech therapists help you redevelop your communication, thinking, and reasoning skills. They also help treat patients who have trouble swallowing.
• Psychologists assist with patient motivation, attitudes, and coping skills. These sessions can involve the patient's loved ones.
• Physical therapists help you regain physical strength, endurance, and coordination through a variety of exercises and activities.

How Much Does a Convalescent Home Cost

The cost of convalescent home care can vary based on your location and the type of facility. As of 2024, the average daily cost of a skilled nursing facility was $312. While SNFs and convalescent homes are meant for short-term care, the costs can still add up quickly. Fortunately, Medicare and Medicaid often cover a substantial portion of the costs, particularly for the first few weeks of care.

Paying for Convalescent Homes

Charges for stays in convalescent homes are billed per day, as are services and medications the patient receives — just like in a hospital. Payment options include Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance, employer insurance, VA benefits, and workers’ compensation.

• Medicare covers a stay of only about 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, covering the full cost of the first 20 days and 80 percent for the remaining 80 days. However, it does not cover custodial care, such as feeding, bathing, etc.
• Patients with limited income or assets may qualify for Medicaid, which covers most of the cost of convalescent care.

If you need time to recuperate after a serious illness or surgery, a convalescent home is a good option. Unlike traditional nursing homes, these facilities provide mostly short-term therapy with the goal to get you back home and to be as self-sufficient as possible. If you’d like to learn more about convalescent care, be sure to check out SeniorLiving.org’s guide to skilled nursing facilities!

Not sure if a convalescent home is the right option for you? Watch our video on the different types of senior housing and care to learn more about your options.