Your Neuro Rehab Team
The important point to keep in mind is that each patient is a different individual and will respond in a manner different than the next patient, so treatment must be tailored to you as an individual. Experts agree that neurological rehabilitation is one of the most important elements of treatment for PD and other neurological diseases. We take this to heart and make every effort to identify patients that may need specialized evaluation and treatment for many different problems, such as weakness, balance problems, falls, weak voice or swallowing, problems with dressing or toileting, to name just a few.
Neurological rehabilitation programs can be conducted while a person is a hospital inpatient, or on an outpatient basis. Our neurological rehabilitation team revolves around the patient and family. The team helps set short- and long-term treatment goals for recovery and is made up of many skilled professionals, including the following:
Physical Therapist – evaluates for problems such as weakness, abnormal postures, stiffness, coordination, gait and balance issues, or pain, and treats with different modalities such as massage, stretching, strengthening, retraining, neuromuscular stimulation, and more in order to get you performing at your best and, hopefully, improving. This helps to reduce your risk of injury (such as falls) as well as to increase your mobility, maybe even get you back to doing something you would like to do (such as playing a game of tennis or golf).
Occupational Therapist – evaluates for problems with activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of your car, using your cane or walker appropriately, making meals, performing self-care and dressing. A personalized plan is then drawn up for you and practiced with the O.T. with the goal of performing these activities on your own.
Speech Therapist/Language Specialist – evaluates for language problems (generating words), for speech problems (such as soft or slurred speech), and for problems chewing and successfully swallowing food. Often, this may involve a swallowing study. They may offer electrical stimulation of the swallowing and speech mechanisms. Again, a personalized care plan is drawn up for you and reviewed by the Center's physicians. A therapist will meet with you regulary to help you achieve our prescribed goals.
Physiatrist (Rehabilitation Doctor) – this doctor is specially trained in rehabilitation and usually acts as the coordinator of the above services, especially in the inpatient hospital setting.
Pain Management Doctor – evaluates and treats painful conditions with a wide array of medications, techniques and procedures, usually with a holistic approach to the patient.
Audiologist – evaluates hearing levels and interaction with communication, often may recommend hearing aids or other devices to enhance your interactions with the other important people in your life.
Dietitian – evaluates your diet, body-mass index, metabolic needs, activities, nutritional deficiencies, etc. This can be very important for many patients with neurological disorders as they tend to lose muscle mass and strength due to the nature of their disease and side-effects of their medications, as well as depression.
Home Health Agency – evaluates the patient and their home for needs related to all aspects of care. Being home-bound is often a frustrating and frightening experience, but this service allows patients to get the care they need on a regular basis, including nursing care, help with medications, evaluation of the home for safety bars and ramps, lab draws and more.
Personal Trainer – if you are at the gym or getting back into it, a personal trainer can make all the difference in the world in keeping you on track with doing the proper exercises. We have Personal Trainers who are especially familiar with patients with neurological disorders.
Psychologist – evaluates and treats depression, anger, behavioral problems, grief, dementia and other problems with non-medicinal methods.
Neurological rehabilitation programs can be conducted while a person is a hospital inpatient, or on an outpatient basis. Our neurological rehabilitation team revolves around the patient and family. The team helps set short- and long-term treatment goals for recovery and is made up of many skilled professionals, including the following:
Physical Therapist – evaluates for problems such as weakness, abnormal postures, stiffness, coordination, gait and balance issues, or pain, and treats with different modalities such as massage, stretching, strengthening, retraining, neuromuscular stimulation, and more in order to get you performing at your best and, hopefully, improving. This helps to reduce your risk of injury (such as falls) as well as to increase your mobility, maybe even get you back to doing something you would like to do (such as playing a game of tennis or golf).
Occupational Therapist – evaluates for problems with activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of your car, using your cane or walker appropriately, making meals, performing self-care and dressing. A personalized plan is then drawn up for you and practiced with the O.T. with the goal of performing these activities on your own.
Speech Therapist/Language Specialist – evaluates for language problems (generating words), for speech problems (such as soft or slurred speech), and for problems chewing and successfully swallowing food. Often, this may involve a swallowing study. They may offer electrical stimulation of the swallowing and speech mechanisms. Again, a personalized care plan is drawn up for you and reviewed by the Center's physicians. A therapist will meet with you regulary to help you achieve our prescribed goals.
Physiatrist (Rehabilitation Doctor) – this doctor is specially trained in rehabilitation and usually acts as the coordinator of the above services, especially in the inpatient hospital setting.
Pain Management Doctor – evaluates and treats painful conditions with a wide array of medications, techniques and procedures, usually with a holistic approach to the patient.
Audiologist – evaluates hearing levels and interaction with communication, often may recommend hearing aids or other devices to enhance your interactions with the other important people in your life.
Dietitian – evaluates your diet, body-mass index, metabolic needs, activities, nutritional deficiencies, etc. This can be very important for many patients with neurological disorders as they tend to lose muscle mass and strength due to the nature of their disease and side-effects of their medications, as well as depression.
Home Health Agency – evaluates the patient and their home for needs related to all aspects of care. Being home-bound is often a frustrating and frightening experience, but this service allows patients to get the care they need on a regular basis, including nursing care, help with medications, evaluation of the home for safety bars and ramps, lab draws and more.
Personal Trainer – if you are at the gym or getting back into it, a personal trainer can make all the difference in the world in keeping you on track with doing the proper exercises. We have Personal Trainers who are especially familiar with patients with neurological disorders.
Psychologist – evaluates and treats depression, anger, behavioral problems, grief, dementia and other problems with non-medicinal methods.