To qualify for inpatient rehabilitation, patients must
- Be diagnosed with neurological deficit from trauma or disease, a brain injury, or stroke
- Have limitations in self-care, mobility,
bowel and bladder management, or communication or
suffer
from cognitive impairment - Be medically stable and have stable respiratory function (no mechanical ventilation needed)
- Be able to participate in a minimum of 3 hours of therapy each day
- Have the potential to improve through treatment in an interdisciplinary setting
- Have at least two functional impairments
- For the Pediatric Program, patients must be between the ages of 1and 13 years old. Adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old can be treated in one of the adult programs or in the pediatric program, depending on their needs.
- For the Stroke Program, patients must have a family member or other designated caregiver committed to caring for the patient on discharge.
Patients also may benefit from other services:
- Neuropsychological testing and counseling
- Respiratory therapy
- Orthotics/prosthetics
- Patient/family education
- Secondary injury
prevention
Special Programs
Aquatic Therapy Program. Barrow developed its aquatic therapy program to benefit patients in need of cardiovascular exercise as part of their rehabilitation. Therapists specializing in aquatic therapy lead patients with limited physical abilities through exercises to improve their range of motion, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and endurance. Patients also learn adapted swimming techniques and gait retraining. Besides its therapeutic benefits, aquatic therapy is energizing, refreshing and, for many, an enjoyable aspect of their rehabilitative regimen.
Community Reintegration Program. Returning to life is the primary goal of rehabilitation. Therefore, programs pioneered by Barrow place patients with newly acquired skills in real-life settings. Typical reintegration sessions may include visits to and experiences in restaurants, grocery stores, or sports and entertainment events, among other activities. Barrow offers this unique program to its patients because reintegration is critical to their independence in the community. Community reintegration includes training in wheelchair mobility skills, assertive communication skills training, and structural barriers and therapy related to help patients adjust to a new body image. Members of the neurorehabilitation team also advise patients about their rights under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
"I was really scared the first time I went
out. I thought, are you crazy? We are going to a
baseball game and I have to push my wheelchair and open
doors. I am glad I went! Now when I go on a date, I
open the door."
--Curtis Neil, patient
Peer-Mentoring Program. The Peer-Mentoring Program matches newly injured patients with a mentor who has also experienced a life-altering injury and now enjoys a healthy, active life. During the program, patients and their mentors discuss topics such as body image, maintaining a healthy recreational lifestyle, traveling, dating, work and school re-entry, and using humor as a coping skill.
"It was great to talk to someone who plays
sports, drives, and goes to school and on dates. It was
awesome to be able to talk to someone who has been through what I
am going through ---- it's like I'm not going through this
alone."
--Jim Boomer, patient
