January 2008 – December 2008
Riverside Rehabilitation Institute has an outstanding Amputee Program and we want you to know how our patients compare with patients nationwide.
Patients Admitted to RRI’s Amputee Program
Compare Well to the National Average
- RRI’s amputee patients are admitted an average of 11 days after their surgery. This is earlier than the national average of 23 days.
- The average age of a patient admitted to RRI after an amputation is 66. The national average age is 63.
- During their stay here, patients usually progress from needing a moderate amount of help for tasks such as bathing, dressing, and walking/wheelchair use to needing a minimal amount of help for the same tasks. This compares well with the national average.
- About 68% of patients admitted to RRI are discharged back home. The national percentage of patients returning home is 68%.
There are some things that affect length of stay and discharge
Patients who have above the knee or below the knee amputations have many of the same needs. The average length of stay after having an amputation is 14 days. The length of stay is 14 days for rehab facilities throughout the nation.
Amputee patients are admitted with a goal of returning home. Most often, patients make progress and are able to return home with the help of their families and outpatient or home health therapies.
Some things increase the possibility of not returning home. These things include:
- Patients who live alone
- Patients who have no family to provide help
Patients are evaluated for prosthesis while at RRI but will not receive prosthesis during the rehab stay. A prosthesis can only be received after discharge when the residual limb is completely healed.
Outpatient physical therapy is usually recommended after discharge (RRI has an outpatient Amputee Clinic and Amputee Support Group). In some instances a few patients may need home health services before progressing to outpatient services. Your doctor and rehab team will recommend to you the services that will best meet your needs. Your Care Coordinator is available to help you with your discharge needs.
By working with patients and their families, we carry out our mission of
“Rebuilding the lives of the physically impaired”…every day.
