Clinical Programs & Services News Intensive Outpatient Program Propels Patients to New Levels of Independence Transitioning from inpatient care to life at home can sometimes be challenging for individuals following a traumatic injury or illness. They no longer need the medical and nursing supervision provided 24/7 in a hospital, but would greatly benefit by continuing with rigorous rehabilitation. Magee’s Day Rehab Program is an intensive five-daya-week outpatient service with a supportive team of providers to help patients get accustomed to everyday life and work towards self-sufficiency.
Holistic Approach Day Rehab is holistic in nature and designed for patients recovering from brain injury, stroke or spinal cord injury. It provides one-on-one physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions, therapeutic group activities, mental health support in group and individual sessions, and community outings, like visiting a local museum or park.
Colleen McAllister, Magee recreational therapist, and former patient, Jaden Leiby, play a video game during a rec therapy session.
Physical and Emotional Healing
“Day Rehab kept the momentum of the progress I made during inpatient rehab,” said Jaden Leiby, a former Magee patient who attended Day Rehab in early 2019. “It definitely helped me grow as a person and achieve goals.”
Day Rehab’s holistic approach also includes opportunities to take part in music, art, horticultural and recreational therapies. This helps to meet patients’ physical and emotional needs as they progress on their own healing journeys.
Overcoming New Challenges
“Even if my mood was low or I was in intense pain, Day Rehab helped me stay driven and get stronger,” said Amanda Lyons, a former Day Rehab patient recovering from a spinal cord injury. “Participating in art therapy and recreational therapy really helped me mentally, because those are things that I enjoy doing and they helped me disconnect from the leg pain I was experiencing.”
Venturing out as a group with support from rehab professionals allows patients to gain experience and confidence navigating daily life outside the home and hospital. This may include learning how to access the community in a wheelchair and gain time management skills needed to catch a train. “The patients are involved in planning the outings before they embark later in the week,” said Joann Rudi, RN, CRRN, Magee Day Rehab Coordinator. “Each outing presents unique challenges and this helps the patients work towards their individual goals, whether that’s physical, cognitive or emotional.”
Easing the Transition to Home Life When patients return home at night, they may face difficulties that only reveal themselves in a home or a community setting. Day Rehab provides a safe space to address those issues. “When patients come back to Day
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Rehab the next day, we are here to help them find solutions that get them closer to self-sufficiency,” said Joann. While Day Rehab is a group program, patients have individualized rehab plans and goals to meet, which dictate length of participation from one to eight weeks. Often, a patient’s rehab goals focus on getting back to his or her career or educational pursuits. The Day Rehab team meets every two weeks to discuss each patient’s progress and recommend next steps. This may include transitioning to traditional outpatient therapy or discharge to home. “Seeing our patients reach specific goals is always the most rewarding part of the work we do,” added Joann. “One patient wanted to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Our therapists worked with him to practice that specific activity and successfully reach that goal.”
