Frequently Asked Questions about Inpatient Rehabilitation Services

We suggest bringing several days of comfortable pants or sweatpants, loose fitting tops, and sturdy walking shoes or sneakers. Patients wear regular clothes during the day. Some toiletries are provided by the center, but you may want to bring favorite brands or personal items. Please bring glasses, dentures, hearing aids, or other assistive devices the patient uses. If any of these items are brought in for the patient after the day of admission, please notify the nursing staff so they can be added to the inventory list.

What to Bring

You will need a few ordinary items with you at the center, and we ask you to have a supply of clothing with you. Please use the following as a checklist when you prepare for admission.

• Underwear and bras (a sufficient supply)
• Sturdy shoes or sneakers
• Socks
• Pants or sweatpants (with comfortable fit)
• Loose fitting tops (with comfortable fit)
• Sweater, sweatshirt or light jacket
• Slippers (with enclosed heel)
• Pajamas
• Bathrobe (with front opening)
• Toiletries (including cosmetics or shaving gear, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, deodorant)
• Assistive devices (eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aid with extra battery, dentures with fixative if needed)

What Not to Bring

Please do not bring medication, valuables or large sums of money with you to the center.

Please do not bring any medication from home unless you are asked to do so. However, a list of these medications would be helpful.

Not when you're admitted. If you'll need money for outings, we will give you advance notice.

Every patient is different and stays a different length of time. If you are making progress, meeting the goals set by your rehabilitation team, then a continued stay is beneficial to you.

After the first team conference, the team will have an estimate of how long you will continue to benefit from the services the center offers. Your case manager will notify you of your expected discharge date and assist in arranging for any further therapy you will need after you leave the center.

If appropriate, you or your authorized representative should discuss your complaint with your physician, nurse or other health care team member. If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, or if you or your authorized representative would like a written or oral response, we will (or you may) direct your complaint to the hospital’s patient representative at 401-845-1305.

Patients may be referred from any acute hospital, subacute facility, long-term care hospital or home setting.

Patients must be at least 18 years of age to be considered for admission.

In general, upon admission patients must require, and be able to participate in, an intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. Intensive means at least three hours a day of multiple therapies for at least five days each week.

Patients must be medically stable, but require close medical supervision visits by a physician with rehabilitation training and experience at least three days each week.

Patients must require 24-hour skilled rehabilitation nursing care that supports the rehabilitation goals.

Your therapists will determine your equipment needs and will work with you, your family, your case manager and insurance company to determine the best way to obtain the recommended items.

Your rehabilitation team will determine your continuing therapy needs before you are discharged. Your case manager will make the arrangements in consultation with your insurance company and with consideration of the coverage the company will allow.

Your nurse will talk to you and your family about the prescribed medications you will take when you go home. Your doctor will give you the necessary prescriptions on the day of your discharge. If you would like to receive your prescriptions before discharge day, please notify your case manager or nurse.

Your rehabilitation doctor will provide your referring physician (and any other doctor you request) with a summary of your treatment and progress.

You and your therapists will discuss your home setting. A therapist may visit your home to determine what will be needed but in most cases a home evaluation is not required. Your therapists will give you recommendations based on the description of your home.

Yes. You will receive an initial follow-up call from the case manager within a week of discharge to assess your transition to the community.

Approximately three months following discharge you will receive a call from an agency that the Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Inpatient Unit contracts with to gather information from our former patients. This national agency will contact you to gather information on your status and your rehabilitation stay.

We use the information gathered from these contacts to assess our program, compare ourselves to other rehabilitation centers across the country and make improvement where opportunities exist. Your feedback is extremely important to the success of our program.