Mom is miserable in rehab. Any advice?

Safety first ALWAYS.

MOST newly placed residents, regardless of the type of facility, suffer difficult periods of adjustment when entering care.

Typically, we as caregivers suffer more than they do. I know that was the case when my LO entered her very nice MC.

After a few months, she loved the “hotel” where she was living.

Risking the damage that can occur from a fall risk is not worth putting an LO through the pain.

Please look into whether a Miller Trust is available in your state. It’s a way to deal with extra income so that a person can qualify for Medicaid.

ETA that Lealonnie1 beat me to it, with additional great info as well. 😊

Your mom has more than 'a mild cognitive disorder' at play if she doesn't understand what's going on and keeps repeating the same questions over & over again since day 3 of rehab! That said, it's not safe for her to live alone with only 10 hours a week of care and family visits during the weekend, based JUST on the cognitive issues alone. You have to consider that the SNF may want to keep her for a valid reason, in their long term care section. If she 'slightly exceeds the income limit', you need to talk to a Medicaid attorney (Elder Care) to see if that excess income can be put into a Miller Trust so she CAN qualify for long term care under Medicaid. This needs to be about safety now and not mom being 'happy' at home alone. She needs more care than she'll get at home, and unless you can arrange that, she needs to stay put where she's at. Mom should be paying for ALL of her care, whether it's in home or in a facility.

My father faced the exact same situation when he was in rehab back in 2014, so I had a choice as to whether to place him (and mom) in Assisted Living or leave him in the long term care section of the SNF he was in for rehab. I chose Assisted Living and had to hustle to move them out of Independent Living and into AL together. Safety is the #1 goal with elderly parents.

Good luck.

If rehab is more than walking to the nursing station and back, then how is she going to get that therapy at home?

Do you actually plan on moving her home to live alone? SHE pays for the caregiver at home -- not you -- so can she afford that?

Rehab stinks. It stinks for everyone who goes to it, but it's something to get through while working as hard as possible for a successful discharge. Perhaps empathizing with Mom's misery and pointing out that she really does need to work hard to avoid having to return once she's sprung would have some effect. While she's still in there, you could be consulting an attorney who specializes in Medicaid to determine how to get Mom into care, because I have a feeling that's really where she's headed -- not home.