Last verified: October 2026
What happens when a hospital discharges someone who cannot go home alone?
The hospital's case manager recommends a next setting, usually short-term rehab in a skilled nursing facility, home with Medicare home health, or a personal care home, and gives the family a list of options that have beds; you have the right to choose among them.
In the Pittsburgh region the discharging hospital is usually a UPMC or Allegheny Health Network hospital, or, in Butler and Westmoreland counties, a WVU Medicine hospital since the former Independence Health System hospitals joined WVU on October 1, 2026.
Will Medicare pay for rehab after the hospital?
Medicare Part A can cover a skilled nursing facility stay after a qualifying inpatient hospital admission when daily skilled care is needed; it does not cover long-term custodial care, so ask on day one how long the rehab stay is expected to last.
Check whether the hospital stay was inpatient or observation status, because observation days do not count toward the qualifying stay.
How do you choose a rehab nursing home quickly?
Use the CMS ratings to narrow the list in minutes: look at the overall, staffing and short-stay quality ratings, then ask each home which therapy is offered daily and how discharge planning works.
All 111 certified nursing homes in the region are sortable by rating and town in our nursing home directory.
What if your parent cannot go home after rehab?
Start planning the next step during the rehab stay: if long-term nursing care is needed, begin the Medical Assistance application; if help with daily activities is enough, tour personal care homes and check their DHS records while therapy continues.
An advisor can line up personal care home openings so a second rushed decision is not needed.
Which hospital systems discharge most Pittsburgh-area patients?
UPMC and Allegheny Health Network run most hospitals in Allegheny County, UPMC Washington anchors Washington County, WVU Medicine now runs Butler Memorial, Westmoreland, Latrobe and Frick hospitals plus Uniontown Hospital, and Heritage Valley Health System serves Beaver County.
Each hospital's case management department coordinates the discharge; ask for the case manager's direct number on the first day.
Rehab after a hospital stay: what it is and is not
| It is | It is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare | short skilled nursing stay after qualifying admission | long-term care |
| Choice | yours, from available beds | assigned by the hospital |
| Ratings | CMS short-stay quality measures available | guarantees |
| Next step | planned during rehab | decided on the last day |
