The Journey to Wellness at Plymouth Towers
The Journey to Wellness Wall of Fame at Plymouth Towers in Riverside, CA, began with an inspirational patient story. Cynthia arrived at Plymouth Towers following a flap surgery for a stage IV sacral ulcer. She was bed-bound for nearly two years following a spinal stroke causing paralysis, and she required 24-hour care. Despite the odds [...]
Rehab All-Stars
Sometimes the simple but meaningful ideas to motivate patients, family, and staff are the most effective. At Arroyo Vista Nursing Center in San Diego, CA, the therapy staff has dedicated a wall in their therapy gym to their Rehab All-Stars. Patients receiving therapy are nominated by therapists, facility staff members, or even other patients and [...]
Brookfield Healthcare Develops Customized App for Patient Care
The I-Motion Analyzer Mobile Application was developed by Brookfield’s very own talented therapists as a way to compare, analyze and share videos and snapshots to help patients and their caregivers in understanding the recovery process during rehabilitation. The application was developed when a lot of caregivers asked for the progress of their family members during [...]
Creating a Therapy Garden Walk
Alta Vista Rehab in South Texas added a beautiful garden walk about a year ago incorporating different heights of pots of various flowers, plants and vegetables, and uneven surface training with sidewalk, dirt, grass, and stone. Here are some things you might want to consider when adding your therapy garden walk: Place pots at various [...]
Ensign’s Best: A View of the Future
In the past year, Vista Knoll Rehabilitation has expanded its knowledge base by hiring a Physical Therapy Assistant, Michael McFadden, MS, PTA, Certified Polestar Rehabilitation Practitioner, Gold Certified PMA-CPT. Michael is an expert in Pilates, bringing a breath of life and new ideas to promote the success of our patients. Our goal is to position [...]
Dementia Capable Care – Helping to Correct Negative Behaviors
Working as an occupational therapist with individuals with dementia is challenging when it comes to finding effective techniques for connecting with the client and enabling them to reach their maximum potential. So it was a pleasant surprise when I recently had the opportunity to partake in a Dementia Capable Care seminar with other therapists in my cluster. [...]
Team Building at Park Manor
Ever feel at a loss for words when wanting to express your appreciation for your awesome therapy team? Sonya Taylor at Park Manor Rehabilitation Center in Walla Walla, WA, found a way to allow for her therapists to express their gratitude and appreciation for one another using a team building exercise that turned 360 degree feedback into 360 degree love for one another.
Massage Vibration Brings New Life to Northern Oaks
by Billye J. Alford-Lee, DOR, Northern Oaks Living & Rehab Center, Abilene, TX – Mr. Lynn has been a resident at Northern Oaks for three years with a diagnosis of quadriplegia — he has struggled with seating issues due to extensor tone in UEs and LEs. After consulting with resources Deb Ellis and Jon Anderson, [...]
Celebrating OT Month at Osborn Health and Rehab Center
by Joleen Linn, Therapy Resource As many of you know, April was National Occupational Therapy month. In an effort to provide education to the staff on the role of Occupational Therapy in a SNF setting, Osborn Health and Rehab Center hosted a week of fun and informative activities for their co-workers and residents. Occupational therapists [...]
Mentoring is an Opportunity for Both Therapist and Intern
By Amy Lynn Gutierrez, SLP, Village Care Center, McAllen, TX – I have been a practicing SLP for the past six years and have had the pleasure of working for Village Care Center in McAllen, TX, for five years. In 2011, I was presented with the opportunity to mentor a new graduate who was seeking [...]
The Human Side of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy school prepares you by giving you that archetypal “toolbox” filled with various resources and skills to be constantly adjusted and fine-tuned. The more tools, the better! Since every patient is unique, each treatment must be tailored to deliver the best interventions possible. During various courses preceding my first clinical internship, I filled my [...]
Bridging the Gap: Clinical Research and Rehabilitation
by Curtis A. Merring, DOR, Wellington Place, Temple TX – Professionals and administrators in any rehabilitation setting need intrinsic motivation to pursue evidence-based treatment strategies to stay ahead of market adjustments and reimbursement trends. In our current healthcare system of cost-cutting and cost-saving payers such as Medicare (the lifeline of skilled nursing facilities), it is [...]
The Lodge at Willow Bend
by Jessie Dees, DOR, Willow Bend Nursing and Rehab, Mesquite, TX – For months now, I have wanted to sit down and type up this article to share my thoughts and reflections on Willow Bend’s Rehab Department. I have been here for 15 months, and looking back, we have come so far. I walked into [...]
Educational Journey
by Jesus Rodriguez, OT, Grand Terrace Rehab and Healthcare, McAllen, TX – Getting an education can be a challenging experience for many. Imagine adding other factors to the equation, such as family and full-time employment. This can make it difficult for those who work and attend college to be successful in achieving that goal. In [...]
Get Your WRAP On!
By Eileen Smith, DOR, Paramount Health & Rehabilitation This past September, Milestone had an opportunity that was the first of its kind in Utah. The University of Milwaukee sponsored a 5-day lymphedema course in Salt Lake City, UT. In this course, we learned about the lymphatic system, different methods of wrapping and “Massage for Lymphatic [...]
Powerful Beyond Measure
These are words that describe the momentum occurring at Wellington Place and Rehabilitation in Temple, TX. The Wellington rehab team has made tremendous strides fiscally and clinically over the last eight months under the direction of Curtis A. Merring, OTR/L, MOT. Curtis brings an evidenced-based approach to rehabilitation. As a published clinical researcher himself, he [...]
A Thriving Student Partnership at Atlantic Memorial
Alex Nguyen started at Atlantic Memorial a little over 2 years ago with a vision to start a thriving student program. Only a year out of school himself, he knew the impact of what a phenomenal clinical experience could make. His experience during his internship with Jenny Farley, the DOR at Atlantic Memorial, influenced him [...]
Transforming Care at Brookfield
The tiniest rehab gym in Ensign is turning out some of the biggest ideas. The Brookfield Rehab Team is led by Lito Ortiz, a PT who has been a part of Ensign for 9 years, and DOR at Brookfield for a little over a year. Lito assembled an all-star group of therapists who continue to [...]
Where Does that Tube Connect?
Teamwork is the Key to Success in Sub Acute Care By Elyse Matson, MA, CCC-SLP, Carmel Mountain Rehab & Healthcare Center, San Diego, CA As we all gathered Monday morning for our weekly rounds to our patients, it occurred to me that we really are a TEAM. Although we hear that word so much in [...]
Monkeys on Your Back?
So… I am on the I-5 yesterday and I see what appears to be some sort of animal hanging from the back of this semi truck. Of course, I was immediately concerned that this truck driver had an animal hanging from the back of his truck and didn’t know it. As I got closer I [...]
If I Could Speak …
As Therapists, we get into this field with aspirations of helping others. Inevitably, we come to learn that the people we are helping also touch our lives. Wellington Place had the opportunity to significantly impact the life of a new resident by providing him with a way to communicate, which he has not had the [...]
Therapy Can Be a Walk in the Garden
by Jill Schuette, OT – It’s a hodgepodge of plant life: petunias, tomatoes, squash, rosemary, ferns. To the casual observer, it may seem like landscaping with a lack of direction. But to the therapy team at Pocatello Care and Rehab, it is a garden with a clear sense of purpose. In the facility’s small courtyard, [...]
Draper Rehab Cooking Group by Mary Egbert, PT
Draper Rehab needed a fun activity for our skilled patients, and a cooking group fit the bill. Our first cooking group consisted of a patient’s secret family recipe for whole wheat waffles along with a fresh fruit salad. Not only was it delicious, but it provided eye hand coordination, upper extremity strengthening, standing balance while [...]
Saving Strokes: Golf Therapy for Stroke Victors
Having a physical disability doesn’t mean you can’t get out on the green! In fact, many people with all kinds of disabilities have found that golf is a great way to overcome physical challenges while having fun! Golf can be a driving force in the physical recovery of stroke “victors,” which is why the American [...]
