Inpatient Rehabilitation Services
Rehab 101
This is an introductory overview for patients and families so they understand the rehabilitation process, their responsibilities and know what to expect through out their stay. A variety of topics are discussed.
Community Outing
The community outing is designed to help you get ready for discharge back to the community. Outing locations include the grocery store and West Acres Shopping Mall. Individualized goals are developed for each person participating and may include money management skills, route finding, accessing and reaching different items, and physical mobility skills such as maneuvering a wheelchair or walker. Rehabilitation staff including a recreational therapist, occupational therapist and/or speech language pathologist accompanies the patients.
Home Visits
An occupational therapist will accompany you to your home for a home visit when part of your individualized rehabilitation plan. The home visit gives you an opportunity to try out the skills you have been learning in therapy in your home setting. Your occupational therapist will work with you to assess your ability to complete daily living tasks in your home environment and recommend equipment or home modifications if appropriate.
Brain Injury 101
The purpose of this course, led by a therapist, is to provide an overview of brain injury and stages of recovery, describe what to expect, and give information on how to help your loved one.
Medication Management
We provide a two-phase medication management program that focuses on patients having knowledge of their medications, purpose, side effects, dosage and correct time of day to administer. This program will demonstrate correct use and timing of medications throughout a day.
Weekend Passes/Day Passes
Passes are goal oriented visits to home or community that allow patients/families and rehab teams to see how the patient is able to function in those settings. This may occur close to discharge and helps with final discharge planning allowing therapists and nurses to correct problems that may be encountered on a pass.
Coping with Challenge Support Group
This support groups is led by staff who help patients and families share and adjust to living with a disability and the transition back to community living.
Neuro-optometry
The Rehabilitation unit has partnered with a neuro-optometrist that specializes in the assessment and treatment of visual deficits following an acquired brain injury. Interventions (such as the use of prism lenses, visual occluders on glasses, or visual exercises) are integrated into the patient's plan of care during their stay. Follow-up visits with the neuro-optometrist are arranged on discharge from the rehabilitation unit.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Patients who have difficulty communicating with their speech, such as from a stroke or brain injury, could benefit from an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluation and treatment plan with a speech-language pathologist. Treatment strategies include personalizing a communication board or book with important words and phrases (e.g., "What are the side effects?" "What do I need to do?"), and/or using a sophisticated communication device. Low-tech and high-tech communication devices can be considered. Low-tech communication devices can have four to 30+ buttons on them. The buttons can save spoken messages, often recorded by a patient's friend or family member. Patients who cannot speak loud enough might use a voice amplifying device. High-tech devices allow a patient to type out novel messages that are spoken by a computerized voice. High-tech devices can be pre-programmed with many pages of customized words, phrases and sentences. Patients who cannot use their hands can be evaluated by an occupational therapist specialist to use switches, infrared mouse, and other options to access a device. We have ways of making you talk!
Assistive Technology
Patients on the rehabilitation unit can benefit from the Occupational Therapy Assistive Technology Assessment and Treatment Program that was made possible by a grant from the MeritCare Foundation. Assistive technology promotes greater functional independence for people with disabilities. It helps compensate for the effects of disability – loss of speech, paralysis, loss of coordination, visual impairment, weakness and cognitive problems – in an active and positive manner. Assistive Technology may include environmental control options (using technology to assist with using a phone, TV remote, turning on/off lights, opening doors, etc. and alternate computer access devices.
CaringBridge
CaringBridge™ is a free, easy-to-use Internet service that enables "virtual patient visitation" for those undergoing medical treatment, by allowing patients to communicate with their loved ones via their own personal Web site.