United States: New Federal Report Says Rehab Hospitals are Dangerous Places

[Our comment:  Several times, my mother was sent to rehab after falling in her assisted living residence.  They are not nice places.  My 91-year-old uncle is now in one, and we worry about him. Back here in Switzerland, where some of these places can be quite posh, we heard of someone, sent to a rehab after knee replacement surgery, falling out of her wheelchair.  Two days later she was sent urgently to hospital where she remained in ICU for weeks.  It might be a serious infection, similar to the personal story related in this article.  She  is now in another not-so-posh "convalescent" facility, suffering from "burning" around the operated knee and internally.  The doctors won't tell us what is wrong (do they really know?) but friends have to wear sterile gowns when visiting her.  She will probably never be able to return home again but will eventually be sent to a nursing home.]

Are Rehab Hospitals Hazardous to Your Health?
by Joe Graedon, People's Pharmacy, 21 July 21 2016

A new study found that rehab hospitals are dangerous places where mistakes are common. Anyone entering such a facility needs vigilance and help from family.

If you suffer a serious injury in an automobile accident, get a knee or hip replaced or suffer a stroke, there is a very good chance you will end up in a rehabilitation hospital. These facilities are supposed to get you back up on your feet and functioning again, especially if you need more assistance than family members can provide.

Regular hospitals like to move people out as quickly as possible after surgery or some other trauma because their reimbursements are tied to the condition being treated. Rehab hospitals are less expensive and bills are usually tied to Medicare reimbursement.

New Federal Report Says Rehab Hospitals are Dangerous Places:

Read more »