Post-surgery recovery is our highest-volume inpatient program. Patients come to us after hip replacements, knee replacements, shoulder replacements, spinal fusions, cardiac procedures, and complex abdominal surgeries — any procedure where the surgeon says the patient needs daily rehabilitation and medical monitoring before going home. At Dolphin Pointe, post-surgical patients receive physical therapy and occupational therapy daily, with speech therapy added when the surgical event or hospital stay affected communication or swallowing. Our skilled nursing team manages wound care, medications, pain control, and post-operative vital signs around the clock. We accept direct transfers from hospitals across Jacksonville — Baptist Health, Ascension St. Vincent’s, UF Health, and Mayo Clinic — and our admissions team coordinates with your hospital discharge planner to make the move seamless.

Every post-surgical recovery plan starts with your surgeon’s protocol. Weight-bearing restrictions, incision care instructions, medication schedules, and therapy progression guidelines — your surgeon sets the rules, and our team follows them precisely. Within the first 24 hours of admission, your physical therapist gets you moving. For joint replacement patients, that means standing, transferring from bed to chair, and taking first steps with a walker. For spine surgery patients, it means careful log-rolling techniques, seated exercises, and guided walking within your restrictions. For cardiac patients, it means monitored exercise with blood pressure and heart rate tracking at every session. Our aquatic therapy pools give post-surgical patients a way to practice walking and range of motion in heated water that supports body weight and reduces joint stress — often weeks before those movements would be tolerable on land.

Between therapy sessions, our nursing team handles everything the hospital was managing — wound dressing changes, drain monitoring, IV antibiotics when ordered, pain medication timing, blood sugar tracking for diabetic patients, and vital sign checks throughout the day and night. Your occupational therapist works on the daily living skills you’ll need at home — getting dressed with surgical precautions, showering safely, using the toilet independently, and preparing meals. When you’re ready for discharge, our team sets up outpatient rehabilitation to continue your progress and coordinates a home safety evaluation to make sure your living environment is ready for you. Patients from Arlington, University Park, Fairways Forest, and across Jacksonville recover in private suites overlooking the St. Johns River — a setting that feels nothing like the hospital room they just left.

Jacksonville’s hospital systems perform tens of thousands of major surgeries every year. Hip replacements, knee replacements, spinal fusions, open-heart procedures, and complex abdominal surgeries all have one thing in common: the surgical outcome depends on what happens in the weeks that follow. A joint replacement that doesn’t get proper rehab develops scar tissue, loses range of motion, and plateaus at 70 percent function instead of 95. A spinal fusion patient who goes home without core stabilization training risks re-injury. A cardiac patient who skips rehab has a higher chance of readmission within 30 days. Post-surgery recovery at a dedicated rehabilitation facility fills the gap between the hospital and home — and the patients who use it consistently get better outcomes than those who skip straight to outpatient or try to recover on their own.

At Dolphin Pointe, post-surgical patients benefit from the full resources of a licensed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. Daily therapy in a full-size gym and two heated aquatic pools. 24-hour nursing with medication management and wound care. Private suites with private baths — so recovery happens in comfort, not in a shared hospital-style room. Our partnership with Jacksonville University keeps our therapy team current on the latest post-surgical recovery protocols, and our admissions team works directly with hospital discharge planners to make the transfer fast and smooth. Families from Colony Cove, Mandarin, San Marco, Regency, and across Duval County choose Dolphin Pointe for post-surgery recovery because the clinical quality matches what the hospital delivered — with the comfort and personal attention that a hospital can’t.

1. Hospital transfer and intake. Your surgeon or hospital discharge planner contacts our admissions team. We review your surgical report, medication list, and functional status. Insurance is verified and a bed is reserved — most transfers happen within 24 to 48 hours. On arrival, you’re settled into your private suite and our clinical team reviews your surgeon’s protocol.

2. Daily therapy begins immediately. Physical therapy starts within the first day — standing, transferring, early walking. Occupational therapy begins addressing daily tasks — dressing, bathing, toileting with surgical precautions. If speech or swallowing was affected by the surgery or hospital stay, speech therapy is added. Sessions happen daily, often multiple times per day.

3. 24-hour medical support between sessions. Our nursing team manages wound care, pain medications, blood thinners, IV antibiotics, vital sign monitoring, and any post-surgical complications. If something changes at 2 AM — a fever, wound drainage, increased pain — a nurse is already on-site to respond and contact your surgeon.

4. Discharge when you’re ready — not before. You go home when you can safely walk, transfer, manage stairs (if needed), and perform daily tasks independently or with a manageable level of help. Our team coordinates outpatient rehab, home safety modifications, and any adaptive equipment you’ll need. Your surgeon receives a full progress report.

Post-surgery recovery is part of our inpatient rehabilitation program at Dolphin Pointe Health Care. We also offer stroke recovery, cardiac recovery, and pulmonary therapy as part of our full rehabilitation center in Jacksonville, FL.

Going home too early after major surgery puts you at risk for falls, complications, and readmission. Post-surgery recovery at Dolphin Pointe gives you the daily therapy, nursing support, and private setting your body needs to heal properly. If you or a family member is being discharged after surgery, call us today. We coordinate directly with hospital discharge teams. We serve patients and families from Arlington, University Park, Springfield, San Marco, Riverside, Mandarin, Orange Park, Regency, Downtown Jacksonville, and the Beaches communities.

Dolphin Pointe Health Care
5355 Dolphin Point Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32211
Phone: 904-914-8801
Open 24 Hours