What Can Rehab Do For You?

Physical Therapy — Physical Therapists provide retraining in the following areas:

• Ambulation — Residents may experience ambulation or walking difficulties which can vary from resident to resident. Physical Therapy can assess and treat residents experiencing difficulties in these areas.
• Transfer — Is the ability to move ones self from one surface to another (i.e. from a chair to a bed). A Physical Therapist may be asked to evaluate and assist the patient with proper and safe transfer to help maximize independence.
• Range of Motion & Strengthening — To increase and/or maintain present Range of Motion and strength to improve circulation, mobility and flexibility, prevent functional loss and give the resident a sense of improved well being.
• Contracture Management — The Physical Therapist may provide range of motion exercise; heat and stretching to maintain movement within functional limits and/or to protect the skin from tearing as well as prevent other problems from developing secondary to decreased mobility.
• Pain Management — Pain can result from injury, inflammation or immobilization (restricted movement) in joints and soft tissue. To reduce pain, Physical Therapists may use heat or cold treatments, joint and soft tissue mobilization and exercise.
• Neurological Rehabilitation — A combination of procedures is used to improve movement and coordination after a stroke, head or spinal injury, birth defects or the onset of a neurological disorder.

Speech Therapy — Speech & Language Pathologists treat individuals with any of the following disorders:

• Speech Disorders — Caused by strokes, neurological impairments, progressive diseases and head injuries. Symptoms may include slurred speech, distorted or omitted sounds, unintelligible speech, due to weak musculature and/or nerve damage.
• Language Disorders — Caused by any type of brain injury or dementia. These individuals may have difficulty finding words, use words incorrectly, or seem to speak in "nonsense". They may have difficulty understanding language and be unable to converse with others or follow directions.
• Swallowing Disorders — 50% of all long terms residents have difficulty swallowing. This is called Dysphasia and can lead to dehydration, malnutrition and even pneumonia. Individuals may present without any or all of the following symptoms: loss of ability to eat, or taking an extensive amount of time period to feed themselves, such as prolonged chewing of food, spitting food out of the mouth, coughing and/or choking on liquids or solids, either during or after the meal, and frequent complaints of heartburn or spitting up.
• Cognitive — Linguistic Deficits — Caused by any brain injury or dementia, these individuals present with a short attention span and impulsive behavior. Interaction with others is limited or poor.
• Confusion & Memory Deficits — Caused by progressive dementia disorders including Alzheimer's Disease. Symptoms include a sharp decline in memory and the loss of ability to care for oneself.

Occupational Therapy can be important in the treatment of people with limitations due to health problems resulting from the following:

• Arthritis
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Hip Fracture
• Respiratory Disease
• Diabetes
• Knee Replacement
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Muscular Dystrophy

• Bathing
• Feeding
• Dressing
• Using hands
• Getting around living room
• Poor endurance during daily tasks
• Transfers to the toilet and/or shower
• Lack of participation in leisure activities

Occupational Therapy can provide these individuals with training, equipment, programs and recommendations to assist them in reaching their highest level of independence.