Inpatient Rehabilitation
There is a dedicated unit for brain injury at the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at UPMC South Side. This unit — which is part of the larger acute care hospital — can provide a variety of services for patients with brain injuries and their families. These services include rehabilitation nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, case management, and neuropsychology.
Skilled rehabilitation programs are available for patients who need rehabilitation care, but cannot handle the three daily hours required for acute rehabilitation. The skilled rehabilitation programs can be an interim step between the acute care hospital and the acute care rehabilitation. Skilled rehabilitation programs providing nursing and therapy services.
The length of time in rehabilitation depends on the severity of the brain injury, the functions affected, and the patient’s individual progress.
Patients with a brain injury and their families work with the integrated patient care team during rehabilitation. These providers include:
- physiatrists: doctors who are trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation
- speech-language pathologists: providers who help with communications and cognitive abilities. They also study how well the patient can swallow and what modifications need to be made to help with that function.
- occupational and physical therapists: therapists who work on improving physical function and daily living skills
- neuropsychologist: a provider whose expertise is the relationship between the brain and behavior
A case manager will work with the physiatrist to help coordinate the individual plan of care. This means that the appropriate resources will be used not only when the patient is in the hospital, but when the patient is ready to go home.
Relearning skills
Rehabilitation for a patient with a brain injury usually focuses around relearning skills that may have been lost because of the injury. Relearning these skills will be complemented by a daily plan of different activities. These activities give the patient opportunities to relearn and practice.
Education begins on the first day of rehabilitation and continues throughout the process. The IRR staff is committed to the highest quality of care and guiding patients and their families in reaching their rehabilitation goals.
Family involvement
Family participation is vital for the patient to achieve maximum benefit from the rehabilitation program. Family members should plan to come to the hospital on a regular basis, not just to visit their loved one, but to learn about brain injury and to take an active role in treatments. Participation will make transition to the next phase of rehabilitation proceed more smoothly.
Family members can help in the following ways:
- attend occupational, physical therapy, and speech therapy sessions
- spend time with the nurses to understand medication schedules
- encourage and help the patient to practice new skills he or she has learned in therapy
- visit the patient, do the things they enjoy, such as relaxing, listening to the radio, or playing cards
- participate in activities and meals
- learn what the patient can do alone, and what he or she needs help doing
- ask the doctors, nurses, and therapists questions
- eat well, get enough rest, and take breaks from caregiving as needed.
Family members are encouraged to come to physical and occupational therapy sessions. Attending will keep the family informed of the patient’s progress, and will help educate the family on how to safely and effectively help the patient with everyday tasks.