Some conditions require specialized care in order to heal and help return
patients to a life of normalcy.
People who have suffered a life-altering illness or injury often have a
lengthy recovery process ahead of them. Stroke, car accidents, head trauma
and other debilitating events usually affect many systems within the body.
These complex conditions require specialized care in order to heal and
help return patients to a life of normalcy. That is where MCMC Inpatient
Rehabilitation comes in.
“Patients who are recovering from severe conditions may be stable
enough to leave the inpatient setting, but they are not yet ready to go
home,” says Program Manager Lindsay Lederer. “They may not
be able to move or speak. At MCMC we have an entire team of doctors, therapists,
nurses and certified nursing assistants providing specialized care to
help patients learn how to walk, talk and take care of themselves once
again. The goal is to prepare them for a successful return to their community.”
The Inpatient Rehabilitation team consists of physical, speech and occupational
therapists, nurses, nurse assistants and a physician specializing in rehabilitation
services who oversees the care provided. Patients in the six-bed unit
spend three hours a day in therapy, five days a week. The intensive interdisciplinary
approach is critical for helping patients learn how to care for themselves
in new ways. “It’s not unusual for three different specialists
to be addressing one patient’s deficits at the same time,“
says Lederer.
“A therapist and a dietitian may be working with swallowing and nutrition
while another may be working on hand dexterity for feeding, while another
is assisting in strength for sitting up at meals. Because we provide 24/7
nursing care and physician oversight, our patients are less likely to
be readmitted than some other rehab facilities.”
Outcomes like these are part of the reason MCMC is accredited by the Commission
on Accreditation of Rehabilitation facilities, the highest designation
possible for a rehab center of excellence. In fact, 93% of patients who
leave MCMC Inpatient Rehabilitation go home—not to a skilled nursing
facility where they may spend more time recuperating.
Of course, the healing process continues at home for many patients. MCMC
offers home health through Visiting health Services (VHS). Their services
include nurses; certified nurse assistants; social workers; and physical,
speech or occupational therapists who come to the home to help patients
continue their recovery in their own environment. Therapists assess each
person’s ability to perform activities of daily living and can help
optimize how to work around any current disabilities. VHS staff can recommend
any modifications that need to be made, such as grab bars in the bathroom
or removing things, like throw rugs, to prevent a fall. The No. 1 goal
for all patients is to keep them safe in their home and prevent the need
for a hospitalization. VHS re-hospitalization rate is 4% below the national average.
Once patients have successfully transitioned home, they also may receive
outpatient therapy at two MCMC locations: Water's Edge and Nichols
landing. Over 25 licensed therapists offer a broad variety of specialized
therapies, and many are board certified in their specialty.
“As patients recover, they often find that they may need to take
care of themselves differently,” Lederer says. “Every level
of rehabilitation care at MCMC is another step toward independence.”