Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Brain injury specialists for individualized care
Our approach to post-acute brain injury rehab
Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital's brain injury rehabilitation program focuses on improving quality of life. Our team and its counterpart at the acute care hospital work closely to ensure a smooth transition to our rehabilitation hospital for the next phase of recovery.
Clinical research guides daily patient care. Evidence-based practice (EBP) informs each stage of decision-making and care delivery. This is a key factor in our brain injury program’s success and includes “high touch” and “high tech” rehabilitation methods. Yet as technology advances, patient interaction doesn’t decrease. While our teams are highly trained on a variety of therapy equipment and devices, they are patient-centered first. Sessions include helping patients learn how to use and feel safe with robotic therapy. Each session is supervised and patients’ vitals are monitored throughout. With three hours of therapy daily, five days per week, this approach accelerates recovery outcomes and builds important bonds between patients and therapists.
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We draw on the knowledge of an experienced team of brain injury specialists to address the range of medical, physical, functional and emotional issues you face.
This interdisciplinary team is led by a physiatrist, a physician board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and includes rehabilitation nurses; physical, occupational and speech therapists; dietitians; case managers; and other clinical and support staff, as needed.
Family members are a part of the care team, too. It’s important for your family to be involved in your therapy sessions, and to learn about your condition and how to support you on the path to recovery.
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Treatment is carefully integrated and tailored to your specific needs and goals. Depending on how you have been impacted by your injury, we will help:
- Maximize alertness and responsiveness
- Improve sleep/wake cycles
- Develop new cognitive, communication and behavioral strategies
- Improve physical function, balance and mobility
- Manage pain and spasticity
- Improve vision, speech and/or swallowing difficulties
- Enhance the skills needed to perform daily activities
- Overcome psychological and social challenges
- Return home and resume work, school or community activities with as much confidence and independence as possible
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Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital works closely with you, your family and the referring hospital to ensure a smooth transition to our program.
Here, you will benefit from a minimum of three hours per day of physical, occupational and/or speech therapies, five days a week. The skills and strategies you learn in therapy will be reinforced by your nursing team.
Treatments include:
- Mobility skill training such as transfers, standing and/or walking
- Strengthening exercises for arms and legs, along with the assistance of robotic equipment
- Tactics to improve communication, swallowing or vision difficulties
- Daily living activities including dressing, feeding and bathing
- Strategies to improve memory, concentration, judgment and problem solving
- Medication management
- Caregiver education and training
At the appropriate time, we’ll coordinate your discharge, help arrange for equipment and provide access to community resources that may be available to you. Our goal, like yours, is for you to move forward with as much independence and confidence as possible.
Technology and research drive recovery
Ocshner Rehabilitation Hospital brings innovative technologies to rehabilitative treatment in support of individual recovery.
Some of the treatments available to patients, based on appropriateness for condition, include:
- Weight-supported training and electrical stimulation devices to improve balance, gait and walking
- Computer-based exercises to improve memory, concentration, decision-making and other cognitive skills
- VitalStim®, a non-invasive external electrical stimulation therapy, applied to the neck, to treat swallowing disorders
- Medication to manage spasticity (stiff muscles)
Why choose us for brain injury recovery care?
Quality care and patient safety are at the core of our treatment programs. Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital’s Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission places it among the country’s top health care facilities.
We’re proud of this distinction and the rigorous performance standards it reflects.
Brain injury recovery
We will work closely with you, and your family, physician and/or the referring hospital to ensure a smooth transition to Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital for your rehabilitation.