Short-Term Care
Most people who come to MediLodge aren’t planning to stay long. Short-term care is exactly what it sounds like: a temporary stay in a skilled nursing facility while you recover from a surgery, illness, injury, or hospital stay. The goal is to get you strong enough to go home safely.
A short-term stay usually lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how much recovery you need. During that time, you’ll have access to 24-hour nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, medication management, wound care, and whatever other clinical support your situation requires.
Why not just recover at home?
Some people can. But if you’ve just had a hip replacement, a cardiac procedure, or a serious bout of pneumonia, your body may need more support than your family can safely provide. Maybe you need IV medications that require a nurse. Maybe you need daily physical therapy to regain your mobility. Maybe you live alone and it’s just not safe to be on your own yet. Short-term care fills that gap.
What to expect
You’ll work with a care team that includes nurses, therapists, a dietary team, and a social worker. Within the first day or two, they’ll put together a plan specific to your needs and your discharge goals. Therapy happens most days of the week, and your progress is tracked so the plan adjusts as you improve.
Discharge planning starts on day one. The team is already thinking about what you’ll need at home (follow-up appointments, home equipment, outpatient therapy) before you get there. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires facilities to develop a discharge plan for every short-term resident, and MediLodge takes that seriously.
Paying for short-term care
Medicare covers a short-term skilled nursing stay following a qualifying three-day hospital admission. The first 20 days are covered in full; days 21–100 carry a daily copay. Medicaid, private insurance, and VA benefits may also apply.
Getting started
If you or a loved one is being discharged from the hospital and needs a short-term recovery stay, find a MediLodge location near you and contact the facility directly. Your hospital’s discharge planner can also coordinate the referral.