Outpatient Rehabilitation
Outpatient rehabilitation programs help patients achieve the most complete recovery and reintegrate into their home and community after an injury, surgery or while living with a disabling health condition. Treatment may also include teaching adaptation and long-term management of limited functionalities to aid both patients and their families during the recovery process.
Specialized Rehabilitation Programs
Different injuries require different care. Specialized outpatient programs can include:
- Brain injury rehabilitation
- Spinal cord injury rehabilitation
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Parkinson's rehabilitation
- Modified barium swallow studies
- General neurological rehabilitation
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Chronic pain and headache management
- Burn rehabilitation
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Fall prevention
- Functional capacity evaluations
- Hand therapy
- Lymphedema therapy
- Oncology rehabilitation
- Orthopaedic rehabilitation
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Sports rehabilitation
- TMJ rehabilitation
- Vestibular rehabilitation
Treatment Details and What to Expect
Depending on a patient’s needs, he or she may require one or more outpatient rehabilitation services, such as:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy consists of specific exercises and modalities to help maximize functional abilities and mobility, as well as increase independence in the home and community.
A physical therapist will evaluate a patient’s strength, range of motion, balance and mobility, and will also ask about his or her current home environment and goals for therapy. This information will allow the therapist to develop an individualized treatment plan for the patient. Additionally, the therapist will teach the patient exercises to improve functional independence and evaluate the need for and train the patient in using assistive device(s).
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy addresses activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating and homemaking skills. An occupational therapist will evaluate a patient’s strength, range of motion, ability to complete daily living skills and his or her cognitive status. This information will assist the therapist in developing a customized treatment plan. The therapist will educate the patient on exercises to improve their functional independence, evaluate the need for and train the patient in using adaptive equipment as needed.
Speech Therapy
Speech-language pathologists address cognition, communication and swallowing. During the first visit, the pathologist will evaluate the patient’s cognitive status, ability to communicate and ability to swallow food of different consistencies (if applicable). This helps the therapist create a personalized treatment plan. The therapist will then work with the patient on exercise programs and worksheets to improve functional independence, communication and swallowing, evaluate the need for adaptive equipment and train the patient in the use of any required device(s).
In all cases, physical, occupational and speech therapists will also provide education and training to the patient’s caregiver(s) to ensure that they are able to practice these skills at home.
Effectiveness
Outpatient rehab is a highly effective treatment for most people recovering from an injury, illness or surgery. Tampa General Hospital’s outstanding outpatient rehabilitation programs are accredited by the Joint Commission and designated as a State of Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Center for both adult and pediatric patients.