Andrew Sandefer, Medical Director; Holley Lombardi, Nursing Director; and Tara DeAngelis; Program Director, oversee the overall care and efforts of the rehab team. In Inpatient rehab, you will have daily access to a physician.
Physical therapists will teach you to exercise which may help improve your balance, strength, and mobility. Movement is the focus of physical therapy. If necessary, physical therapists also will instruct on the safe and correct use of mobility devices (walkers, canes, braces, artificial limbs, etc.), safe transfers from the bed to the chair to a toilet, as well as using stairs and wheelchair if applicable.
Physical therapists also work with patients to decrease pain and improve strength, endurance, balance, and range of motion. Your therapist will inquire about your lifestyle and your regular activities and restore as much movement as possible to get you back to your routine and hobbies.
Occupational therapists help patients become more independent by teaching new ways to perform life tasks, including bathing, dressing, eating, preparing food, or brushing one’s hair. The goal is to help you improve the ways you perform living after illness, injury, or surgery. Occupational therapists may train you in the use of adaptive equipment that will help you perform these daily activities. Occupational therapists are also responsible for performing home safety evaluations to ensure maximum safety and functionality after discharge when deemed necessary.
Speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists, will assess and treat your communication, memory, hearing, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. The focus of speech therapy is improving speech-language expression, comprehension, and oral motor skills for accurate speech production and safe eating. Speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat any problems with swallowing and eating.
Our dedicated team of rehabilitation professionals focuses on designing a goal-oriented plan of care that promotes independence, the highest level of health and function, as well as freedom from pain. To accomplish this, our team is led by a physiatrist (a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and includes members from the following disciplines:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology
- Rehabilitation nursing
- Social work
- Neuropsychology
- Nutrition
- Respiratory therapy
Also considered an integral part of the team are patients and their family members, who make informed decisions about inpatient and outpatient services, follow-up care, home adjustments, and other special needs. A case manager will coordinate individualized rehab care and meet regularly with the entire medical care team to monitor each patient's progress.
