If you or a loved one has suffered an accident or has a chronic disease, you may be looking for transitional medical care. Convalescent homes are similar to nursing homes but are intended to provide high levels of medical and rehabilitation therapy to assist residents in transitioning back to their own homes or into an assisted living facility.

Like most long term nursing homes, most convalescent homes focus on elderly care. However, many younger patients, below 55, need short term convalescent care when recovering after a stroke or accident. Not all nursing facilities and convalescent homes are geared towards younger people, so here is a quick guide to choosing a facility where you or a loved one will be happier as a younger resident and how to navigate a convalescent care facility as a younger resident. 

Find a Facility With Younger Patients 

If you live in an area where you have a choice of facilities, you should look around for one that has other residents your age. This may mean that you have to travel slightly further than your hometown to a nearby city that has more choices for convalescent care. A facility with experience caring for  a variety of ages, or one that focuses only on young residents, will be better prepared to meet the psychological and social needs of you or your loved one. 

Ask About the Facility's Rehabilitation Success Rate 

Some people enter convalescent care but are not successfully rehabilitated to the point where they can live in independent housing or an assisted living facility and instead transfer to a long-term special care facility. As a younger resident, it is important that you or your loved one remains positive about your prospects for rehabilitation. It can be helpful if you regularly see other residents successfully completing their rehabilitation and moving on to more independent lifestyles. For this reason, choose a convalescent home that has a high success rate rehabilitating their residents. 

Request a Younger Roommate

Many convalescent facilities are combined with long-term nursing homes, and while some have separate floors or wings dedicated to convalescent care, others mix residents. If you are sharing a room, be sure to request a room with either a convalescent resident or a younger long term resident. This can give you someone closer to your age to talk to and likely has similar daily schedules. 

Work Out a Privacy Plan 

It is important that you have private time for yourself each day, even if you share a room, and that you feel the staff of the home respect your privacy. A privacy agreement can include small details, such as having staff knock on your door before entering and allowing you to stay up later than the regularly scheduled sleeping hours. This can help you feel your age and allow you to have uninterrupted time with your significant other or friends when they are visiting. 

Make Sure Friends and Family Visit Regularly 

While it is important for all recovering patients to have friends and family visit them while they are in convalescent care, it is especially important for younger residents. Friends and family can keep you up to date on current events and make you feel vibrant and social. They can also help improve your mood and outlook, helping you to stay positive about your rehabilitation. 

Convalescent care can be intimidating for a young person. You or your loved one will have unique issues such as questioning the reason for your injury or illness at a young age and the desire to remain socially active with your peers. It is important to carefully choose the correct convalescent home for your needs. 

Learn more about your options by contacting resources like Hilltop House.