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When recovering from surgery, a stroke, a fall or a hospital stay, the quality of post-acute rehabilitation directly affects how quickly and how fully a person recovers. River Garden’s short-term rehabilitation program is rated High Performing by US News and World Report — one of the most respected rankings in senior care — and is a preferred provider for area hospitals and insurance companies throughout Northeast Florida.
River Garden’s goal is simple: help every rehabilitation resident return home as quickly and as safely as possible.
Short-term rehabilitation at River Garden is designed for seniors who need intensive therapy and medical oversight following:
Medicare typically covers short-term skilled nursing facility care for up to 100 days following a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient nights. River Garden’s admissions team can help families understand exactly what coverage applies.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy following surgery, a stroke or a fall focuses on rebuilding strength, restoring range of motion and improving balance and mobility. River Garden’s physical therapists develop individualized treatment plans with measurable goals — not a generic protocol — and adjust the plan as the patient progresses. For patients recovering from joint replacement, physical therapy is the primary determinant of how quickly and fully function returns.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy addresses the practical tasks of daily life: dressing, bathing, preparing food, managing medications and navigating a home environment safely. For patients returning home after a hospital stay, occupational therapy is often the discipline that determines whether that return is safe. River Garden’s occupational therapists also conduct home safety assessments and recommend adaptive equipment when needed to support independence after discharge.
Speech-Language Pathology
Speech therapy at River Garden addresses communication difficulties, cognitive-communication challenges and swallowing disorders — a common complication following stroke, neurological illness or certain surgeries. Dysphagia, the medical term for swallowing difficulty, affects a significant proportion of stroke survivors and can lead to aspiration pneumonia if not properly assessed and treated. River Garden’s speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat swallowing function using evidence-based protocols.
Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association has consistently demonstrated that the quality of post-acute care — including where a patient receives skilled nursing rehabilitation — directly affects outcomes including hospital readmission rates, functional recovery and long-term independence. Patients who receive rehabilitation in higher-quality skilled nursing facilities have measurably better outcomes than those in lower-rated facilities, even when controlling for the severity of the initial illness or injury.
This is why hospital discharge planners and physicians recommend specific skilled nursing facilities when post-acute rehabilitation is needed — and why patients and families have the right under federal law to choose their preferred provider. River Garden’s High Performing rating from US News and World Report, its 5-star CMS rating and its status as a preferred provider for Northeast Florida hospitals reflect a consistent track record of outcomes that matter.
Not all skilled nursing facilities offer the same level of rehabilitation. River Garden’s therapists are licensed, experienced and focused entirely on achieving measurable, meaningful outcomes for each resident. Therapy sessions are goal-oriented and paced to each individual’s condition and progress.
When a physician or hospital case manager recommends a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation, families and patients have the right to choose their provider. Under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ discharge planning rules, hospitals are required to provide patients with a list of Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities in the area — but the patient and family have the right to request a specific facility, including River Garden, regardless of which facilities appear on that list.
River Garden encourages families to ask for River Garden by name when discussing discharge planning with their hospital care team. River Garden’s admissions team works directly with hospital case managers and discharge planners to coordinate same-day admissions when clinically appropriate.
Patients admitted to River Garden for short-term rehabilitation receive a comprehensive evaluation by the therapy team within 24 hours of admission. From that evaluation, an individualized plan of care is developed with specific, measurable goals and a projected timeline for discharge. The plan is reviewed regularly with the patient and family and adjusted based on progress.
Therapy sessions typically occur once or twice daily, six to seven days per week, depending on the patient’s condition and tolerance. Between sessions, River Garden’s nursing team provides 24-hour clinical oversight, medication management, wound care and coordination with the attending physician. Discharge planning begins from the first day of admission — the goal is always a safe, well-supported return home.
Joint replacements, fractures, back pain and spinal procedures
Stroke, Parkinson’s, MS, Guillain-Barré and related disorders
Safe, supported healing after surgery
Arthritis, osteoporosis, COPD, cardiac concerns and chronic pain
Muscle weakness, gait training, balance and vestibular issues
Amputee rehabilitation, orthotics, prosthetics and adaptive strategies
Communication, cognition and swallowing disorders
To arrange a short-term rehabilitation stay or ask about availability, contact River Garden’s admissions team at 904.260.1818. We work directly with hospitals and discharge planners to coordinate every transition.
