Page 17 - Healthcare News Mar/Apr 2021

Rehabilitation
THAT’S WORTH THE DRIVE
On the road to recovery after an illness, accident or surgery, our hospital provides a better route to independence with specialized teams and advanced technologies that go the extra mile. Make the most of your rehabilitation journey and choose the best option for recovery. We provide healthcare that’s worth the drive.
Learn more at ehc.rehab/hcn19
The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification in Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Stroke Rehabilitation
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encompasshealth.com/westernmassrehab
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MARCH/APRIL 2021 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 17
REHABILITATION CONT’D
Andrea Noel-Doubleday speaks with a joint- replacement patient.
their exercises,” she said. “For most patients, there isn’t the high level of pain in a rehab like there used to be.”
Less pain also translates to a shorter rehab process. Jack Jury, lead physical thera- pist at the Rehabilitation Hospital at Mercy Medical Center, said a full knee replacement for many patients is a day-stay surgery.
“They come in in the morning, have their knee replaced, work with us for couple ses- sions of physical therapy, and then go home the same day,” he explained.
While home exercises and outpatient re- habilitation remain essential, he noted, even they are taking less time. “A few years ago,
it was not unusual for our patients to see us for 12 weeks of outpatient therapy. Now, four to five weeks is a long time to work with someone.”
Transition Game
Both Jury and Noel-Doubleday pointed out that rehabilitation hospitals play a key role in the healing process for patients who are not yet ready to move from the hospital directly to their home.
Those patients see people like Nick Rizas, inpatient therapy manager with Encompass
Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachu- setts. Rizas explained that patients are usually referred to Encompass because they have chronic conditions
(such as obesity, diabetes, and active tobacco use) that make healing more challenging. He also works with patients when they decide to have both knees replaced at the same time.
“
with us for couple sessions of physical therapy, and then go home the same day.”
“When a person is in pain because their knees are giving them trouble, getting both done means they only have to go through the process once,” he said, quickly adding that “this procedure would only hap- pen after a discussion with the surgeon to determine that this is the best course of action.”
On occasion, physical therapy plays a role before surgery when doctors recommend patients for a pro- gram known as ‘prehab.’ Noel-Doubleday explained that prehab allows patients to increase their strength
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They come in in the morning, have their
knee replaced, work