The Rehabilitation Program

Comprehensive Services
Our comprehensive rehabilitation program offers coordinated services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, rehabilitation nursing, recreation therapy, psychology, social services, vocational counseling, community re-entry support, respiratory therapy, nutrition counseling, patient and family support groups.

Team Approach
Services should be individualized for each patient and coordinated through a team of rehabilitation professionals. Team members should meet regularly under the direction of a physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation. The physiatrist should have access, through the hospital staff, to physicians from other medical specialties who are available for consultation when needed.

Each patient should have his or her own rehabilitation team, and the team should remain with the patient throughout the rehabilitation stay. Rehabilitation services should be offered seven days a week, including three to five hours a day on weekdays. Some weekend services also should be available.

Family Involvement
The onset of a disability affects not only the newly disabled person, but their family as well. The family plays an important role in a rehabilitation program. You should look for a rehabilitation program that includes and encourages family participation at a variety of levels. Families should be considered members of the rehabilitation team; their needs and opinions should be sought. Families should be invited to attend team conferences and contribute to the rehabilitation plan. Families should be allowed to observe treatment and to visit freely.

Look for a facility that offers family support groups as a regular part of the comprehensive rehabilitation program. These groups help family members to gain a greater understanding of the disability, and provide insights into adapting and coping. They also provide an opportunity for families to have contact with others who are experiencing similar problems.

Discharge to Home
The goal of a comprehensive physical rehabilitation program is to help a person achieve a maximum level of independence. One measure of the achievement of this goal is the person’s ability to return home after rehabilitation. A successful rehabilitation program will result in individuals who improve their ability to care for themselves, with a majority of them returning home after discharge.

Professional Staff

Education and Experience
The education and experience of staff members contribute greatly to the overall success of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. So, too, is the ability of the facility to provide continuity of staff throughout the rehabilitation stay.

Dedication
Dedicated staff—with a permanent assignment to the rehabilitation unit—are preferable to staff who rotate from unit to unit. Dedicated staff ensures a higher level of knowledge and expertise in rehabilitation.

About Boulevard Healthcare LLC Rehabilitation Units
Boulevard Rehabilitation Units is dedicated exclusively to providing comprehensive inpatient physical rehabilitation services. Boulevard Healthcare LLC provides comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation for head injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, orthopedic conditions, burns, and neuromuscular disorders. We also offer a coma recovery program.

• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)

The Rehabilitation Program

Comprehensive Services
A comprehensive rehabilitation program must offer coordinated services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, rehabilitation nursing, recreation therapy, psychology, social services, vocational counseling, community re-entry support, respiratory therapy, nutrition counseling, patient and family support groups, and drive education.

Team Approach
Services should be individualized for each patient and coordinated through a team of rehabilitation professionals. Team members should meet regularly under the direction of a physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation. The physiatrist should have access, through the hospital staff, to physicians from other medical specialties who are available for consultation when needed.

Each patient should have his or her own rehabilitation team, and the team should remain with the patient throughout the rehabilitation stay. Rehabilitation services should be offered seven days a week, including three to five hours a day on weekdays. Some weekend services also should be available.

Family Involvement
The onset of a disability affects not only the newly disabled person, but their family as well. The family plays an important role in a rehabilitation program. You should look for a rehabilitation program that includes and encourages family participation at a variety of levels. Families should be considered members of the rehabilitation team; their needs and opinions should be sought. Families should be invited to attend team conferences and contribute to the rehabilitation plan. Families should be allowed to observe treatment and to visit freely.

Look for a facility that offers family support groups as a regular part of the comprehensive rehabilitation program. These groups help family members to gain a greater understanding of the disability, and provide insights into adapting and coping. They also provide an opportunity for families to have contact with others who are experiencing similar problems.
Discharge to Home

The goal of a comprehensive physical rehabilitation program is to help a person achieve a maximum level of independence. One measure of the achievement of this goal is the person’s ability to return home after rehabilitation. A successful rehabilitation program will result in individuals who improve their ability to care for themselves, with a majority of them returning home after discharge.

Professional Staff

Education and Experience
The education and experience of staff members contribute greatly to the overall success of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. So, too, is the ability of the facility to provide continuity of staff throughout the rehabilitation stay.

Dedication
It is preferable for professional staff to be employed by the hospital. This gives the hospital greater control over the quality and consistency of care, and contributes to more meaningful communication with the patient and family.

Dedicated staff—with a permanent assignment to the rehabilitation hospital or unit—are preferable to staff who rotate from unit to unit. Dedicated staff ensures a higher level of knowledge and expertise in rehabilitation.

• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)

We offer the following as a check sheet for your use when gathering information on various
rehabilitation facilities:

Rehabilitation Checklist