For Families
Mom or Dad fell. What to do in the first 48 hours
A calm, practical checklist for the first two days after a fall, hospital stay or sudden decline.
Right now
- Don't make a permanent decision tonight. You usually have at least a few days.
- Ask the hospital: Is this a discharge home, a rehab stay, or is a higher level of care needed?
- Ask: Is my parent admitted as an inpatient, or under observation? It matters for Medicare coverage of a rehab stay.
- Write down mobility, new equipment (walker, wheelchair, oxygen) and the discharge date in one place.
In the first 48 hours
- Find out the real timeline: rehab stays often allow more time; a direct discharge may be 24 to 72 hours.
- Get a rough budget and list what may help pay: private savings, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, Medicaid.
- Identify who can make decisions: power of attorney, health care surrogate, or the parent themselves.
- Call Novita Way at (727) 632-8291 for a free conversation about options with openings.
Know the Medicare rule
Medicare covers short-term care in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility only after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days in a row (not counting the day of discharge). Time "under observation" doesn't count. Source: Medicare.gov.
General information only, not medical, legal or financial advice. Programs and amounts change; confirm with the official source or a qualified professional.