REHABILITATION IN NURSING‐HOME SITUATIONS: A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE

The question of whether rehabilitation programs should be included in nursing‐home care has been answered affirmatively, both in the professional literature of the past decade and by recent legislative action which focuses on the healthcare problems of the elderly. The major issue at present is the breadth and intensity of such programs. As this brief review of the literature has indicated, the success of rehabilitation goals is conditioned by the following factors: the mental and physical status and the social situation of the patient; the experience, professional training and rehabilitation‐oriented outlook of the attending personnel; the rehabilitation resources available in the nearby community; and the ability of the nursing home to afford the costs of the rehabilitation program in terms of dollars, personnel, time, professional services, and equipment. However, even when the breadth of a nursing‐home rehabilitation program has to be restricted because of any of the foregoing factors, the program can at least focus on aiding patients to regain some personal, though minimal, independence. This accomplishment has benefits for both the patient and the nursing home: the patient benefits from the improvement in his psychological if not physical state, and the nursing home benefits because more of the personnel's time is available for other patient‐care services.