As residents’ health care needs have changed, the role of therapy has evolved to meet these challenges. Our therapists receive comprehensive training and are committed to the success of maximizing each resident’s functional potential.

It has been determined that therapy during rehabilitation in a SNF is associated with a shorter length of stay as well as functional improvements for a variety of diagnoses. These diagnoses include patients who have suffered stroke, orthopedic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary conditions.  It has been demonstrated that higher therapy intensity was associated with greater odds of improving by at least one stage in activities of daily living (ADLs), mobility, and cognitive functional independence. The outcomes of therapy and rehabilitation are focused on enabling individuals to maximize their participation in daily activities.

Clinical studies have proven the following benefits:

  • Decrease in Restraint Use after One Month 75% 75%
  • Decrease in Falls after One Month 35% 35%
  • Decrease in Moderate to Severe Pain 95% 95%
  • Return to Prior Level of Function 85% 85%

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists help residents develop skills for what are known as activities of daily living—self-care tasks such as feeding or dressing. They provide equipment to assist with these activities, modify the person’s environment to maximize independence, and facilitate participation in the center’s activities. An occupational therapist may also evaluate the person’s home for safety after discharge, then recommend and teach the person to use adaptive equipment, such as a shower chair or a walker, how to care for themselves safely, and how to pursue regular activities—like cooking or driving—as they continue recovering.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy and rehabilitation are used to treat patients suffering from illness, disease or injury. Therapy can improve their mobility, strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance, and even reduce pain. The goal of physical therapy is to restore, maintain, or promote optimal physical function. Our medical director and physical therapists create individualized therapy plans to address each patient’s needs.

If someone comes to a skilled nursing facility for a short-term stay, a physical therapist aims to restore mobility, reduce pain, and increase fitness level. It is important that older nursing home residents receive physical therapy from skilled physical therapists in order to ensure that dangerous accidents or injuries do not occur.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapists also provide treatment of cognitive-linguistic impairments. This treatment focuses on restoring memory, sequencing, problem solving, safety awareness, attention, and their effects on the function of ADLs. Exercises may include breaking down a complicated task, like making a grocery list, to small simple steps. In this case, the steps include identifying what items you need (problem solving), finding a pen and paper, remembering the words for the items you want (memory), and writing the list (communication). Speech-language pathology plays a critical role in the treatment of dysphagia, or swallowing disorder. The treatment of dysphagia is essential in maintaining healthy lungs and avoiding pneumonia. Beyond that, a therapist may be able to help your loved one enjoy a less restrictive diet with a wider variety of foods.

Restorative Nursing

Residents that are discharged from intense rehabilitative therapy can continue to receive restorative nursing exercises to maintain current functional level.