Rehabilitative services at Sadie G. Mays Health & Rehabilitation Center combine physical, occupational, and speech therapy with 24-hour nursing supervision for older adults recovering from a stroke, fracture, surgery, or hospitalization.
Sadie G. Mays Health & Rehabilitation Center is a 206-bed, 501(c)(3) nonprofit skilled nursing facility in northwest Atlanta, founded in 1947, providing in-house therapy seven days a week.
Medicare Part A typically covers this care for up to 100 days per benefit period following a qualifying hospital stay.
Recovering safely after a hospital stay takes coordinated care, not just a bed. The Sadie G. Mays admissions team can confirm therapy eligibility before a hospital discharge date arrives.
Rehabilitative services are physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy provided to restore function lost to an illness, injury, or surgery, delivered under medical and nursing supervision rather than at home unsupervised.
At Sadie G. Mays, rehabilitative services are structured as short-term rehabilitation—a defined recovery period with therapy goals and a planned discharge —distinct from long-term care, which continues indefinitely.
Residents typically enter rehabilitative services directly from a hospital stay rather than from home.
Rehabilitative services are appropriate for older adults who have lost mobility, strength, or communication ability following a medical event or procedure.
Common reasons a physician orders rehabilitative services include:
Sadie G. Mays provides three in-house therapy disciplines — physical, occupational, and speech-language — coordinated under one care plan rather than referred out to separate providers.
Therapy Type | What It Addresses | Common Conditions Treated |
Physical Therapy | Mobility, strength, balance, and pain reduction | Stroke, hip fracture, joint replacement, deconditioning |
Occupational Therapy | Activities of daily living — dressing, bathing, adaptive equipment use | Stroke, arthritis, post-surgical weakness |
Speech-Language Pathology | Communication and swallowing function | Stroke, brain injury, progressive neurological conditions |
Residents recovering from stroke often need more than one discipline at once; the stroke rehabilitation program at Sadie G. Mays coordinates physical, occupational, and speech therapy for that specific recovery pattern.
An interdisciplinary team — the attending physician, nursing staff, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, and social worker — builds and reviews each resident’s care plan together rather than in separate silos.
The care plan is reviewed and updated regularly, with formal family meetings scheduled to discuss progress, adjust goals, and plan for discharge before the Medicare benefit period ends.
Sadie G. Mays’ Family Ambassador program trains family members to actively support a resident’s rehabilitation goals, with staff providing education on therapy objectives, medication management, and discharge planning at every stage of the stay.
A rehab stay that ends without a plan risks losing hard-won progress. Sadie G. Mays’ care team coordinates every discharge around the resident’s next setting, not just the calendar.
Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing rehabilitation per benefit period as a maximum, not a guarantee, and coverage continues only while the resident still requires daily skilled therapy following a qualifying hospital stay of at least three days.
Medicare Part A covers days 1 through 20 in full, and days 21 through 100 carry a $217 daily coinsurance in 2026. Outpatient therapy after discharge is billed differently, under Part B rather than Part A.
Medicare Part | Setting | What It Covers (2026) | Cost to Resident |
Part A | Skilled nursing facility, inpatient | Up to 100 days per benefit period, subject to continued need for daily skilled care | $0 for days 1–20; $217/day for days 21–100 |
Part B | Outpatient therapy after discharge | Physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy with no annual dollar cap | 20% coinsurance after the annual Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) |
The full Medicare coverage guide for Atlanta families covers Part C Medicare Advantage variations and Medigap considerations, and insurance and payment options for rehabilitation covers private insurance and out-of-pocket planning.
You can check facility quality and staffing data for any Medicare-certified provider through CMS Care Compare, and the Georgia Department of Community Health regulates licensing.
Rehabilitative services typically last from a few weeks to a few months, ending when the resident reaches the functional goals set in the care plan rather than on a fixed calendar date.
When formal physical, occupational, or speech therapy discharges a resident, restorative nursing can continue the functional gains that therapy established, carrying skills like walking, transferring, and dressing into the resident’s daily routine so progress isn’t lost once a Medicare benefit period closes.
Families can review how restorative nursing works after rehab ends to understand how that transition is planned before discharge.
A family typically starts rehabilitative services through a hospital discharge planner, though a physician referral from any setting can begin the process.
What are rehabilitative services?
Rehabilitative services are physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy provided to restore function after an illness, injury, or surgery. They are delivered under medical and nursing supervision as a short-term, goal-based recovery program, not ongoing custodial care.
What conditions commonly require rehabilitative services?
Stroke, hip fracture, joint replacement surgery, cardiac or respiratory illness, and general deconditioning after a hospital stay are the most common reasons a physician orders rehabilitative services. Each condition typically requires a different combination of physical, occupational, or speech therapy.
Does Medicare cover rehabilitative services?
Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing rehabilitation per benefit period, following a qualifying three-day hospital stay, with no cost for days 1–20 and a $217 daily coinsurance for days 21–100 in 2026. Coverage continues only while you still need daily skilled care.
What is the difference between Medicare Part A and Part B for therapy?
Part A covers inpatient skilled nursing rehabilitation following a qualifying hospital stay, for up to 100 days per benefit period. Part B covers outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy after discharge, with no annual dollar cap but a 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible.
How long does a rehabilitation stay typically last?
Most stays last a few weeks to a few months, but exceeding the 100-day Medicare Part A window doesn’t automatically end therapy—families can continue rehabilitation privately or transition to restorative nursing if functional goals aren’t yet met, without losing progress already made.
Who is involved in planning a resident’s rehabilitation?
An interdisciplinary team plans each resident’s care. Still, families are directly included through scheduled meetings and the Family Ambassador program, which trains a family member to support therapy goals, track medication changes, and participate in discharge planning conversations throughout the stay.
What happens after formal therapy ends?
Restorative nursing carries learned skills like walking and dressing into daily routines after formal therapy ends. Still, it maintains function rather than treats new decline—a resident can return to formal therapy if a new medical need arises.
Does insurance other than Medicare cover rehabilitative services?
Many private insurance plans cover skilled nursing rehabilitation under similar medical-necessity requirements as Medicare, though coverage terms vary by plan. The admissions team verifies insurance benefits before a resident’s therapy begins to confirm what a specific plan covers.
How does a family start the referral process for rehabilitative services?
A family typically starts through a hospital discharge planner following a qualifying hospital stay, though a physician referral from any setting can begin the process. The admissions team reviews medical records and confirms insurance coverage before scheduling admission.
What therapy disciplines does Sadie G. Mays provide in-house?
Sadie G. Mays provides physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy in-house, coordinated under one interdisciplinary care plan rather than referred to outside providers. This keeps therapy schedules and progress notes unified across all three disciplines throughout a resident’s stay.
Rehabilitative services combine physical, occupational, and speech therapy under 24-hour nursing supervision for a defined recovery period, distinct from long-term custodial care.
Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days per benefit period, subject to continued need; Part B covers outpatient therapy afterward.
An interdisciplinary team plans each stay from admission through discharge, and restorative nursing carries functional gains forward once formal therapy ends.
Confirming rehabilitation eligibility before a hospital discharge date helps avoid coverage gaps. Call the Sadie G. Mays admissions team at 678-420-2946 to get started.
