Difference: Spa Treatment, Rehabilitation, Hospital
The terms ‘spa treatment’, ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘clinic’ are often mistakenly used interchangeably in everyday language, even though there are important differences between them.
Admission & Treatment
Differences Between the Institutions
Health cure, rehab or clinic?
These differences relate primarily to the intensity of the therapy, the treatment methods used and the coverage of costs by various providers, such as pension and health insurance schemes or financial assistance bodies.
A brief overview
A health cure is intended for healthy people who are showing the first symptoms, whereas rehabilitation is designed for people who are already ill. A health cure is therefore more of a preventative measure aimed at maintaining good health.
Rehabilitation is intended to restore health or provide follow-up treatment for an illness, with a view to enabling the person to continue in gainful employment.
A stay in a clinic or hospital as part of inpatient treatment is the right solution, particularly for acute patients, and is aimed at restoring health and improving the patient’s condition.
To make this a little clearer, we have produced a diagram for you.
The image illustrates that hospital treatment can be particularly beneficial when symptoms are acute and require rapid, intensive treatment.
You can find out below exactly how health resorts, rehabilitation centres and hospitals differ.
Reimbursement of Costs
PREVENTIVE
Health cure stay
A spa treatment therefore serves as a form of healthcare and prevention, and helps to maintain your health and strengthen your body’s natural healing powers. It is recommended when the first symptoms appear or when conditions such as rheumatism, metabolic disorders or diabetes are diagnosed.
A wellness programme often includes massages, wellness and relaxation techniques, as well as walks and baths, to restore balance to body and mind. It can therefore be regarded more as a restorative holiday for one’s health.
The length of a spa stay can vary, but is usually between 2 and 3 weeks.
The costs of a spa stay are usually covered by statutory health insurance schemes. In addition, a co-payment of usually 10 euros per day is payable for a spa stay, which must be covered by the patient. Unlike statutory health insurance, private health insurance does not generally provide a statutory entitlement to spa stays; exceptions to this are supplementary insurance policies.
CONTINUING IN EMPLOYMENT
Rehabilitation stay
Rehabilitation, or ‘reha’ for short, is about restoring health following injuries, operations, chronic illnesses or health conditions.
Rehabilitation focuses primarily on the consequences of the illness and is aimed at follow-up treatment. In other words, it aims to maintain or restore the patient’s ability to work. Round-the-clock medical supervision, as is the case in a hospital, is not required.
The treatment therefore involves a biopsychosocial assessment of the patient’s ability to work and a determination of their capacity for gainful employment.
During rehabilitation, patients are actively involved, and particular emphasis is placed on physiotherapy and exercise therapy following operations to restore mobility. This is why the term ‘rehab’ derives from rehabilitation measures.
Treatment is usually provided once a week and comprises physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and sports and exercise therapy.
In-patient rehabilitation usually lasts three weeks, but may be extended for medical reasons.
The costs of rehabilitation are higher than those of a spa treatment due to the more intensive nature of the treatment. Rehabilitation is usually the responsibility of the pension insurance scheme or the accident insurance scheme, as – as mentioned above – the aim of rehabilitation is to restore a person’s ability to work. Consequently, the pension insurance schemes often cover the costs.
People with private health insurance, on the other hand, usually receive no reimbursement, or only a small amount. This depends on the terms of their private health insurance policy and their pension scheme.
RECOVERY OF HEALTH
Acute Care Hospital
A psychosomatic clinic focuses primarily on the treatment of mental and psychosomatic illnesses that require hospitalisation. The aim of a hospital stay (or clinic stay) is to restore your health, to cure or alleviate your condition, and to help you cope with everyday life.
In a clinic, various therapeutic approaches are combined, and there is a constant presence of doctors and nursing staff. Treatment is provided in accordance with a treatment plan tailored to the individual patient, which is continuously reviewed and adjusted.
The intensity of treatment in a clinic is generally higher than that offered by rehabilitation and spa programmes. At least two treatment sessions per week are scheduled.
A stay in a psychosomatic clinic lasts at least 6–8 weeks and may extend beyond 12 weeks, depending on the severity of the condition and the individual needs of the patients.
The costs of an acute care hospital are covered by statutory and private health insurance schemes and by the relevant subsidy authorities.
Private clinics: Statutory health insurance may also cover the costs, subject to a case-by-case decision by the insurer. If you have any questions, please call our clinic helpline on: +49 7674 9209 180.
SUMMARY
Overview
The terms ‘spa treatment’, ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘clinic’ each have their own specific areas of application and differences.
A health cure is therefore primarily intended for health maintenance and prevention in healthy people, whilst rehabilitation aims to restore health following injuries or illnesses and is designed to maintain or restore a person’s ability to work.
A hospital, or inpatient acute care, is primarily suitable for patients with acute conditions and aims to restore their health and improve their condition.
The intensity of treatment at the clinic is higher than in a rehabilitation centre, and there is a constant presence of doctors and nursing staff.
EMERGENCY CLINIC FOR MOTHERS AND/OR FATHERS WITH AN ACCOMPANYING CHILD IN THE BLACK FOREST
The Verus Mother-Father-Child Clinic
Details | Health cure | Rehabilitation | Clinic | Verus Libori |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purpose | Prevention | Improving health and restoring the ability to work | Restoring health | Restoring health |
Range of treatments | Nutritional advice, exercise therapy, fitness programmes, relaxation therapies | Physiotherapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, social counselling, as well as psychosocial support and vocational rehabilitation | Psychotherapy, medication, psychological counselling and support | Psychosomatic disorders, burnout, depression, anxiety and panic disorders, PTSD, postnatal depression, birth trauma, pain management, psychological counselling and support |
Type | Preventative | Follow-up treatment | Acute distress | Acute distress |
Treatment | Treatment for mother/father (children may accompany them) | Treatment by one person | Treatment for mother/father (children may accompany them) | Treatment for mother/father (children may accompany them) |
Objective | Relief of symptoms, and improvement in general health and well-being through preventative measures | Learning to cope with mental illness and its consequences; return to work; support with returning to work and adapting working conditions to reduce the risk of a relapse; developing strategies to maintain the progress made | Curing or alleviating mental illness and relieving symptoms; (re)establishing a personal daily routine; restoring emotional stability and providing support in coping with crisis situations; improving quality of life: enhancing well-being, satisfaction and overall quality of life | Unlike in conventional clinics, we take a holistic approach that views the body and mind as a single entity. We do not have a single rule or standard treatment that is applied to all patients. Our aim is to treat not just the illness, but the whole person. At our clinic, we practise personalised medicine, taking particular account of the different circumstances and needs of individual patients. |
Focus | To address and improve functional limitations, reduce risk factors and maintain the ability to work | Treatment of mental health conditions which are associated, in particular, with impairments and difficulties at work and in everyday life; maintaining or restoring the ability to work is of paramount importance | Treatment of psychosomatic disorders in people experiencing an acute crisis: for example, when they are no longer able to cope with everyday life on their own. | Specialising in the treatment of mental and psychosomatic disorders in which biological, psychological and psychosocial factors, and their interplay, play a decisive role in their aetiology, progression and treatment. |
Application | A combination of preventative measures, natural remedies and relaxing activities. | A combination of individual and group therapy, medical treatment, physical activity and training in coping with everyday tasks. The focus is on improving patients’ independence and quality of life and enabling them to participate in social life once again. | Treatment often involves a combination of medical and psychotherapeutic approaches: medication, individual and group therapy, art, music or occupational therapy, physiotherapy and complementary therapeutic approaches, as well as support and advice on applying for further support measures. | Joint development with the support of an interdisciplinary team of competent and experienced specialists (in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and general practice), psychologists, psychological psychotherapists, and creative and movement therapists – a therapeutic approach that recognises the complexity of your situation and thereby has a lasting stabilising effect, helping you to gain motivation, perspective and strength for everyday life. |
Costs | Statutory health insurance schemes (often with a co-payment), self-paying patients and, in exceptional cases, private patients (depending on the contract) | Pension insurance or accident insurance; in some cases, health insurance funds | State health insurance and private health insurance | Private health insurance funds, civil-service health allowance offices (Beihilfe) and, in individual cases, statutory health insurance funds |
Intensity of treatment | Once a week | Once a week | 1 time a week at least 2 times a week | 5 times a week |
Length | 3 weeks | 4–6 weeks | at least 6 weeks | at least 6 weeks |
Medical care | Non-medical measures predominate | Non-medical interventions predominate; doctors’ on-call service | Medical care is the priority; on-call (on-site) medical service, including at weekends and at night | Doctors specialising in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and general practice; psychologists; psychological psychotherapists; creative and movement therapists; childcare |
Surroundings | Health resorts with a therapeutic climate | Scenic surroundings | Characteristics of the surroundings are irrelevant | In the heart of the Black Forest, in the health resort of Todtmoos, renowned for its therapeutic climate. Leisure facilities such as a swimming pool, sauna and children’s playground are available. |
Take the First Step.
Free initial telephone consultation
Mon–Sun 08:00–20:00
Telephone helpline: +49 7674 9209 180 (Mon–Sun 08:00–20:00)
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Together, we will work out how we can help you as quickly and effectively as possible.
Eligible for civil-service health allowance (Beihilfe)?
Co-payment amount for those eligible for civil-service health allowance (Beihilfe) under the PEPP scheme: €35.00 per day