Newswise — Glenview, IL (February 6, 2012): As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services increase incentives to reduce readmissions, the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses provides a resource that details common challenges and preparations needed to prevent complications that may lead rehabilitation patients to return to acute care hospitals. The article appears in the December 2011/January 2012 ARN Network, the association’s online newsletter and is available on the ARN web site at www.rehabnurse.org.
“Successful transition of a patient to acute rehabilitation is complicated for patients with multiple medical issues, and when patients are not prepared properly for these transitions patients may be forced back into acute care hospital. This return penalizes the acute care hospital and is a setback that represents failure for the patient and the rehabilitation team,” says lead author, Lori S. Aylor, BSN CRRN. The common challenges patients face are addressed in this article and include activity tolerance, pain, bowel and bladder issues, nutrition and hydration, respiratory, skin care and pressure sores, medical stability and patient and family expectations.
The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) represents more than 5,700 rehabilitation nursing experts from a variety of settings who are not only passionate about the care they give, but also experts on the unique perspective and philosophy of care rehabilitation nursing provides its patients.
For a copy of the article, please visit www.rehabnurse.org
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