After surgery or a stroke, you'll be discharged to one of two settings. They look similar from the outside. The therapy intensity, medical oversight, and outcomes are different.
| Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) | Inpatient Rehab Hospital (IRF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Therapy hours per day | 1-2 hours | 3+ hours |
| Daily MD visits | No (weekly) | Yes |
| RN coverage | Required, but lower ratios | 24/7 with higher ratios |
| Medicare coverage | Up to 100 days, copay days 21-100 | Covered when criteria met |
| Average length of stay | ~25 days | ~12 days |
| Discharge to home rate | ~70% | ~80% |
| Best for | Recovery that's expected to take longer with lower intensity | Patients who can tolerate 3+ hours of therapy and need more medical supervision |
Tell us what's going on. We'll help you sort the right next move — without the sales pitch.
Get a real opinionYes. By federal law, the hospital must give you a list. You are not required to accept their first suggestion.
Generally: you need to tolerate 3 hours of therapy a day, have realistic recovery goals, and need the level of medical supervision IRFs provide. Ask the hospital case manager for the IRF eligibility criteria.
Medicare's 'maintenance therapy' rule means you don't have to be improving to keep getting therapy — you can be working to maintain function. Push back if a SNF discharges you for plateau.