Rehabilitation
Acute Care Therapy offers unit-based specialized therapists. Our physical and occupational therapists and speech language pathologists are each assigned to one of our many specialized units. Whether you are in the hospital for elective orthopedic surgery, heart care, or as a trauma patient, you can rest easy knowing that the therapists on your unit are specialists in your area of rehabilitation.
Acute Care Therapy services are offered at:
- Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
- Dr. P. Phillips Hospital
- Orlando Regional Medical Center
- South Seminole Hospital
- Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital
- Orlando Health South Lake Hospital
- Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital
We offer an extensive array of early rehabilitation programs to begin your recovery process. These programs, in combination with many others, allow Acute Care Therapy to provide you with the most comprehensive rehabilitation services during your acute hospital stay.
Our Acute Care Therapy rehabilitation services include:
Oncology/Lymphedema
Cancer and various associated treatments can have significant effects on all systems of the body. Our multi-disciplinary team is available to help patients manage these symptoms, promote increased independence, and most importantly to improve our patient’s overall quality of life. Within our rehab team, there are several certified lymphedema therapists to not only treat this difficult condition, but to educate and identify at-risk patients to hopefully reduce the occurrence.
Speech, Swallowing and Language
Orlando Health provides a team of highly specialized Speech-Language Pathologists to screen diagnose and provide treatment for patients with a wide range of motor speech, receptive language (language comprehension), expressive language, cognitive-communication, voice and swallowing disorders. With onsite state-of-the-art radiologic imaging, our Speech-Language Pathologists also conduct inpatient and outpatient swallowing evaluations under fluoroscopy (live video x-ray) for an in depth look at a patient’s swallowing function. Our team of acute care Speech-Language Pathologists are an integral part of the comprehensive rehabilitation team working to improve function and overall quality of life of our patients.
Intensive Care Early Mobilization
Recent research studies have proven that early mobilization of patients in the intensive care until can decrease the number of days they are on the ventilator as well as the number of days they spend in the unit. Our team is specially trained to safely and effectively mobilize these patients integrating their diagnosis and medical equipment into the plan of care.
Multiple Trauma
Multiple trauma patients can have injuries which effect many systems of the body including the orthopedic (bones), neurological (brain and spinal cord), cardiopulmonary and integumentary (skin) systems. Our team is trained to integrate the multiple injuries to multiple systems in order to develop a comprehensive plan of care custom designed for each patient. Our goal is for our patients to achieve the highest level of function based on their particular injury and to assist you in negotiating the continuum of rehabilitation care.
Burns
Burn injuries can affect a person for the rest of their life. Our rehab team works closely with the patient’s nurses, doctors, social workers, and the patient’s family to return the patient to their previous level of function. We start treatment from the day the person is admitted and see them daily to ensure the best outcomes possible through ROM exercises, ambulation, splinting, adaptive equipment training and most importantly patient and family education.
Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord injuries (SCI) can be one of the most debilitating injuries a person can sustain. At ORMC, we have a specialized SCI team that works with people with a SCI from the day they are admitted to the day they are discharged from the hospital. An interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of people with a SCI helps to ensure the best possible outcomes for the patient and their families.
Brain Injury
Brain injuries affect all people very differently, depending on what type of injury, and where your brain is affected. Rehabilitation for patients with brain injury is an interdisciplinary approach that works with you to regain your mobility and speech. We will also guide you to re-learn tasks that may have been easy for you prior to your injury. Another focus of your rehabilitation in the hospital is educating your caregivers to help them understand the recovery process and facilitate healing.
Neurological Conditions
The rehabilitation team works with patients with a broad array of neurological conditions, including but not limited to: Parkinson’s disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, Devic’s disease and polyneuropathy. Our therapists will thoroughly assess your sensation, balance and strength, as well as your ability to move. Speech language pathologists will assist you with your ability to communicate, speak and swallow as needed. Our goal is to make sure you are progressing towards being as safe and independent as possible, and to educate your caregivers to feel empowered to help you as well.
Stroke
As a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, our therapists and speech language pathologists are part of an expert team that is here to maximize your potential during your recovery. You will be seen by your rehabilitation team nearly daily to address potential difficulties you may have with communication, swallowing, speech, cognition, balance, functional mobility and activities of daily living. We want to help your family understand your symptoms and educate them in participating in your progress. You can be confident knowing that as you cope with a new, challenging situation, your healthcare team is here to guide and support you as you overcome this challenge.
Amputee/Limb Loss
The focus of rehabilitation during hospital stay is geared towards goal of getting fitted for prosthesis and improving mobility. Rehabilitation includes pain control techniques, upper and lower extremity strength and range of motion exercises, wound care, and functional mobility and activities of daily living training.
Cardiac Care/Thoracic Surgery
The focus of rehabilitation during hospital stay is to improve overall cardiovascular endurance following cardiovascular condition, procedure, or surgery. Rehabilitation includes endurance and strength training, functional mobility and activities of daily living training, and education of post-surgical precautions if necessary.
Orthopedics
Whether recovering from an elective surgery or traumatic orthopedic injury, our team of experienced therapists will develop individualized plans of care to increase your mobility and independence. Our patients undergoing a joint replacement will be prepared for their surgery and recovery through our comprehensive joint replacement program in order to facilitate a safe discharge home following their surgery. With our team’s seamless interaction with our orthopedic physicians, nurses and care coordinators, you can expect to receive the highest level of care possible.