Lancaster Rehab, Palmdale Rehab - Lancaster Community Hospital

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Rehabilitation Services

Rehabilitation

Lancaster Community Hospital provides intense rehabilitation services. Providing inpatient service since December 1998, the Acute Rehabilitation Department offers three hours of intense therapy a day. This special rehabiliation unit provides physicians and patients with advanced technological innovations for diagnosis and treatment of the most acute clinical conditions.

The Acute Rehabilitation Department interfaces with all disciplines, including neurosciences, orthopedics, gerontology, hematology, oncology and general medicine. Rehabilitation services are provided to outpatients, hospitalized patients and patients specifically admitted to the 16-bed Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program.

Patients who are seen solely on an outpatient basis are usually ambulatory and not in need of the acute care services of the hospital. For example, repetitive motion injuries, voice problems, hearing problems and orthopedic problems are treated mostly on an outpatient basis.

Patients who are briefly hospitalized may receive rehabilitation services for problems resulting from a stroke, injuries such as broken hip or procedures such as total knee surgery, for example.

Patients with more complex and disabling conditions are admitted to the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. After discharge, the patient may return for ongoing care at the outpatient physical therapy department.

Individualized care is provided to patients by a team of dedicated and skilled health professionals who are experts in specific areas of rehabilitation.

Working together with the patient and family, the rehabilitation team provides an assessment and develops a coordinated plan of care, with the goal of using each patient's individual strengths and abilities to achieve the maximum level of independence.

The Rehabilitation Team

The Physician
Several medical specialists may evaluate and treat patients during their stay on the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. All patients are under the care of an attending physician, who is a specialist in rehabilitation medicine with experience and expertise in physical rehabilitation. The role of the rehabilitation physician is to provide leadership and to coordinate the clinical and administrative care within a rehabilitation team model.

The Physical Therapist
Physical therapist prevents, identifies, corrects and alleviates acute or prolonged movement dysfunction. Physical therapy staff evaluates the function of the musculoskeletal, neurological, pulmonary and cardiovascular systems and treats relevant problems through exercise, functional training, gait training for ambulation and cardiovascular endurance training.

The Occupational Therapist
The occupational therapist strives to improve functional independence of the physically impaired patient through purposeful therapeutic activity, exercise and self-care retraining. The occupational therapy staff evaluates the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, including cognitive and perceptual skills, with a special emphasis on the impact of any deficits on daily performance demands such as self-care, homemaking and work practices.

The Speech-Language Pathologist
The speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats people with difficulties in communicative, cognitive and/or swallowing functions. The most common diagnoses seen by the Department of Speech-Language Pathology are decreased communicative-cognitive function, dysphagia, dysarthria, dysphonia and aphasia.

The Rehabilitation Nurse
The major role of the rehabilitation nurse is to act as the primary educator for patients and their families. Using a flexible, innovative and creative approach, these nurses prepare and maximize a patient's ability to return to successful and independent functioning. They act as team facilitators and patient advocates on a 24-hour basis. Working in collaboration with other disciplines, their goal is the restoration and maintenance of physical and social health, with special emphasis on function, independence and quality of life for the patient and family.

The Social Worker
The role of the social worker is to assist the patient and family members in making the necessary adjustments to functional changes imposed by disability.

They offer counseling and support in coping with the emotional stress of illness/injury and preparation for the patient's return to the community. The social worker also coordinates among the patient, family, physician and rehabilitation team to arrange post-discharge services. These may include home care, equipment, transportation or placement outside the home and providing information about financial resources or referrals to community services.

The Clinical Dietitian
Clinical dietitians identify and work with all patients who are at nutritional risk. They see that patients are placed on correct therapeutic diets, provide nutritional education for patients and families and initiate and monitor the adequacy of patients' enteral and parenteral nutrition.

Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program

The Lancaster Community Hospital Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program is a comprehensive acute inpatient unit, offering a wide variety of services to patients requiring physical rehabilitation. The staff is committed to delivering high quality rehabilitative care with the goal of returning patients to their highest level of function and independence.

Medical Management
Management of pre-existing and current medical problems

Functional Mobility Training
Activities to improve strength, endurance and balance for transfers, bed mobility and ambulation - with or without assistive devices and wheelchair mobility

Bowel and Bladder Training
Training for independence in the management of incontinence problems

Self-Care Training
Training to improve grooming, hygiene, bathing, dressing and eating skills with or without adaptive devices

Communication Training
Training and activities to improve understanding, speech, reading and writing

Cognitive Retraining
Training and activities to address decreased attention span, memory and organizational skills

Swallowing Training
Identification and treatment of swallowing problems through compensatory techniques and dietary recommendations

Home Management Skills
Assessment and training in functional activities such as cooking, cleaning and money management

Home Evaluations
Visits to determine accessibility and safety of the home environment and make recommendations regarding equipment and modifications

Admission Criteria

Patients must have a rehabilitation diagnosis to be admitted to the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program.
Patients must be medically stable.
Rehabilitation nursing care is required on a 24-hour basis.
The patient must have the ability to tolerate a minimum of three hours of therapy five to six days a week.
The patient has the potential to show improvement within two to four weeks.
The patient must be motivated, cooperative and willing to actively participate in rehabilitation.
The patient's condition warrants admission to an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program.

Referral Process
Pre-admission assessments are conducted to determine a patient's eligibility. Referrals are accepted from patients, family members or any healthcare professional.