Better Tomorrows: Understanding Post-Acute Care and Physical Rehabilitation in Recovery

Being healthy comes with a lot of uncertainty and surprises. The biggest uncertainty for many families and patients is what happens after my hospital stay. The road to recovery doesn’t end upon discharge.

Many families and patients become concerned after they leave an acute hospital setting and may have several unanswered questions. What happens after discharge? Does my recovery continue? How will I be supported? What support do I need? Who will support me? Will I regain my independence and quality of life?

At Nurture Health, we believe that recovery isn’t a single event. It is a carefully designed and supported process to suit the needs of the patient and their families. We believe that our interdisciplinary approach to healthcare and our values support our vision of creating Better Tomorrows for all. We aim to ensure that the right care is provided at the right time and to reassure our patients and families that we do care.

Recovery after acute hospital stays: Why the next steps matter

Recovery after a hospital stay is often viewed as a physical process. Aspects such as walking, regaining physical strength, and returning to a normal routine are viewed only from a physical point. However, all of these have an emotional bearing attached to them as well that is often overlooked.

Patients need to adjust to changes in their bodies, abilities, and confidence. The families may need to learn how to properly support their loved ones safely upon return home. All of these have intersection points with clinical care, emotional wellbeing and support, and functional recovery.

Understanding the difference between post-acute care and physical rehabilitation is essential and can help patients and families, and referring professionals make the correct decision to support the recovery journey.

Physical Rehabilitation vs Post-Acute Care: What’s the difference?

While often used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between these two that needs to be clear as they each serve different purposes

What is Physical Rehabilitation?

Physical rehabilitation focuses on restoring movement, strength and physical functioning after an injury or illness.

It typically includes:

Physiotherapy and movement-based therapy

Strength training, balance and mobility

Relearning everyday physical tasks

Physical rehabilitation is most suited to patients who are medically stable but require focused therapy to support them in improving and regaining their physical independence.

What is Post-Acute Care?

Post-acute care is broader and provides more comprehensive care following hospital stays, primarily for those who require recovery that is emotionally, physically, or medically complicated.

Post-acute card may include:

Discharge planning and return to home or work support

Physical rehabilitation and therapy

Continuous medical or nursing care

Medication management

Post-acute care focuses on the entire person and their recovery journey, not just the physical aspect. It recognises and supports the entire person by recognising that physical function, medical care, and emotional wellbeing are all closely connected in the recovery process.

How do they work together?

These two work best when matched according to a patient’s needs. Some patients may only require physical rehabilitation. Other patients may require additional care and nursing support through post-acute care. The important distinction is that many recovery journeys require both, but at different stages.

The Role of Physical Rehabilitation Services in Shaping Better Tomorrows...

Physical rehabilitation goes beyond merely restoring what was lost. It focuses on enabling progress, confidence, and participation in daily life.

We deliver our physical rehabilitation programmes by taking each patient's conditions, goals, and pace of recovery into consideration. This ensures that each programme is individualised and is focused on a particular outcome.

Integrated Care: Supporting Recovery Through our Values

It is very seldom that recovery fits into one discipline. That is why integrated care becomes fundamental in achieving better outcomes.

Our integrated care brings together doctors, nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals into a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach.

Our approach ensures:

To collaborate across disciplines

We innovate in how we care

To communicate empathetically

Safety is prioritised

To ensure we pursue continuous improvement every day

These are not just values and add-ons to our approach; they are necessities to ensure our patients receive the best possible care during their stay.

Better Tomorrows Begin with The Right Approach

Better Tomorrows is more than a tagline. It is a shared belief that recovery deserves time, coordination, innovation, and compassion.

Every patient journey is different. Every patient and their families face unique challenges. However, when their recovery is supported with appropriate physical rehabilitation, post-acute care, effective and collaborative teamwork, tomorrow can be better than today.

This is what we strive to enable, and we will be there every step of the way.

Learn more about what we offer and how we can support you.