Hi Audie, we brought our grandma home for Christmas for a few hours when she was in rehab for a broken hip. They suggested it and sent us home with instructions about how to help her get up and sit down. (However I don't think it was that good of an idea because she did not seem like she enjoyed herself and was distracted by the discomfort she was still experiencing.) Maybe other people had different experiences though. This was 10 years ago so maybe rules have changed.
First thing to do is to check the facilities contract as they may have different rules and regulations and they can override the general rules for Medicare listed below...
But in general, yes a rehab patient can leave a facility for a set amount of time, hours or even a few days, if the trip is set up with the staff. This can be for a special occasion like a graduation or a funeral, or a trip to see a specialty doctor who cannot visit the rehab.
In the case of an overnight trip, you will be billed for this time as if the person was in the rehab, to hold their bed. Medicare will not pay for the time the resident is not in the rehab, so this would be an out of pocket expense that needs to be covered.
We love to give our acute inpatient patients passes when we can - we make sure family can handle the mobility and care needs and check with the third party insurers to make sure it is OK. It is ideal to do this at least once before discharge when needs are more involved, just to advance trouble shoot and be sure it is all going to work. When we can't do overnights due to restrictions, we can often do brief off-premises passes (4-8 hours) and that helps in a lot of the same ways, just getting out of the hospital for a break and for getting back out in the community in a supportive, one step at a time sort of way.
When my BIL shattered his leg and was in a NH for two months, he gave up all hope of going home. So we packed him up and took him the 30 miles to his house and had lunch outside, then took him back to rehab. It totally changed his focus and PT progress. A month later he went home. On the other hand, if the patient is not going home, but to AL, do NOT take them home; it will lead to sobbing for days.
When Nonna was in a rehab facility they had a sign-out sheet so you could take them out for a few hours. I don't understand why you couldn't. I'd talk to the nurse (or hell, even the security guard if there is one) to see if you could.
I am sure that it's worked out in advance. Yes, patients go home, usually a few hours. As far as billing, payments, I don't know. But patients that go home for even a short time, come back to rehab renewed and eager to progress so that they can be discharged. ★★★★★
But in general, yes a rehab patient can leave a facility for a set amount of time, hours or even a few days, if the trip is set up with the staff. This can be for a special occasion like a graduation or a funeral, or a trip to see a specialty doctor who cannot visit the rehab.
In the case of an overnight trip, you will be billed for this time as if the person was in the rehab, to hold their bed. Medicare will not pay for the time the resident is not in the rehab, so this would be an out of pocket expense that needs to be covered.
Angel
On the other hand, if the patient is not going home, but to AL, do NOT take them home; it will lead to sobbing for days.