Rapid growth of rehabilitation services in traditional community-based nursing homes.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the changes in rehabilitation therapy services in nursing homes based in the community during a period of rapid escalation of Medicare payments to nursing homes.


METHODS
All Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Ohio.


METHODS
The 52,705 residents newly admitted to nursing homes in 1994 and 1995.


METHODS
Retrospective trend analysis of administrative data.


METHODS
For newly admitted residents receiving 90 or more minutes of rehabilitation therapy per week, the trends in percentage and in the amount and type of therapy received were determined for eight quarters.


RESULTS
Of all newly admitted residents, 50.5% received 90 or more minutes of therapy. When they received such therapy it averaged 412 minutes per week (SD = 259). Those residents who received rehabilitation services increased by 2.2% each quarter (p<.001), and the amount of therapy they received increased by 6.4 minutes each quarter (p<.0001). All three types of rehabilitation therapy-physical, occupational, and speech-increased (p<.015) over the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
The traditional nursing home is an important site for the provision of rehabilitation therapy services. Rehabilitation specialists should be aware of these trends as they plan for the future of rehabilitation. The effectiveness of this increased provision of therapy service in terms of measurable outcomes needs to be evaluated.
Murray
P K
PK
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Singer
M E
ME
Fortinsky
R
R
Russo
L
L
Cebul
R D
RD
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D009820:Ohio; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States