Inpatient Rehabilitation Patient Handbook 2601 Electric Avenue, Port Huron, MI 48060 810-985-1500 mymercy.us SJMPH 12-12 300
My Rehabilitation Team Physician Nurse Case Manager Physical Therapist Occupational Therapist Speech-Language Pathologist Clinical Social Worker Physiatrist Recreation Therapist Spiritual Care, Chaplain Psychologist Other remarkable medicine. remarkable care. 13
About St. Joseph Mercy Hospital St. Joseph Mercy Hospital provides a comprehensive array of community-based health and medical services. Formerly known as Mercy Hospital, patients receive patient-focused, quality care from a leading provider of health care services in the Blue Water Area and Thumb communities. A 164-bed acute care not-for-profit, St. Joseph Mercy provides adult medical/surgical services, emergency care, cancer care, cardiac care, bariatric care, inpatient rehabilitation services, including stroke care, orthopedics and joint replacement, and a vast number of other testing, health, and medical services. St. Joseph Mercy is a member of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and Trinity Health. Consistently ranked among the nation s top health systems, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System offers leading physicians and specialists, and innovative technologies not available anywhere in the region, including Cyberknife, the Michigan Stroke Network, the Michigan Bariatric Institute, robotic surgical programs including the region s first MAKOplasty partial knee and total hip replacement systems, and the only Senior ERs in southeast Michigan. Discover Remarkable at St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron. For more information about our extensive programs and services, visit us online at: mymercy.us. You can also follow us on facebook and twitter. Welcome to the Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Port Huron. You and your family have become members of a rehabilitation team aimed at helping you reach your best functional level. Your stay will be individually tailored with planning to meet your needs. Although based in the hospital, our rehabilitation program offers a very unique approach to patient care. Your stay will be different from any other hospital stay you may have experienced. Our goal is to teach you and your family the skills needed to return to your normal daily activities. You will be expected to dress in your own clothing, have meals in the Day Room and participate in therapy programs throughout the day. The rehabilitation team will serve as teachers, assisting you in developing the skills you ll need when you leave the hospital. Throughout your stay, the amount of help you receive will decrease as you gain more independence. With hard work, you can achieve your goals. I m sure you will have questions. Hopefully, some of the answers can be found in this book. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me or a member of the rehabilitation team at 810-985-1642. Nick J. Reina, MD Medical Director Mercy Regional Rehabilitation Center St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron 12
Contents The Facility... page 3 Admission and Evaluation... page 3 Patient Safety Program... page 4 What to Bring... page 5 Clothing... page 5 Hygiene Items... page 5 Assistive Equipment and Devices... page 5 General Information... page 6 Visitors... page 6 Telephones... page 6 Television... page 6 Valuables... page 6 Hard of Hearing/Deaf Services... page 6 Meals... page 6 Typical Rehab Day Schedule... page 7 Your Schedule... page 7 The Rehabilitation Team... page 8 Patient... page 8 Physiatrist... page 8 Referral Coordinator... page 8 Nursing... page 9 Physical Therapists... page 9 Occupational Therapists... page 9 Speech/Language Pathologists... page 9 Social Worker... page 9 Physician/Medical Staff/Hospitalist... page 9 Spiritual Care, Chaplain... page 10 Family... page 10 Other Team Members... page 10 Discharge Planning... page 11 Therapeutic Pass... page 11 Home Evaluation and Follow-up... page 11 Outpatient Programs... page 11 About St. Joseph Mercy Hospital... page 12 Important Names & Numbers... page 13 Discharge Planning Your discharge plan starts before you are even admitted to the unit. You and your family will meet with a member of the rehabilitation team to discuss what your needs might be when you leave the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. The goal is to return you to your previous living arrangement. If this is not possible, a social worker will assist you with identifying an alternative discharge option. If you or your family think this is a possibility, please contact the social work department immediately. Therapeutic Pass Near the end of your rehabilitation, your doctor may order a pass to allow you to temporarily leave the unit. It is usually written for a period of 10 hours or less during any given day. Your family must attend safety training, understand medications, and be sure your nutritional needs will be met before the pass is provided. Home Evaluation & Follow-up If needed before your return home, a member of our staff can visit your home to evaluate whether some changes may be needed to better meet your needs. Outpatient Programs After discharge from the unit, you may still require some additional therapy. All therapies you had during your inpatient stay are available on an outpatient basis if recommended by your physician. To schedule these appointments, please call 810-985-1370. 11
Spiritual Care, Chaplain Is available to persons from any congregation or religion to offer spiritual and emotional support as you and your family deal with life changes. Upon request, the sacraments, spiritual counseling and/or prayers are also provided. Family Your family can be a major part of the rehabilitation team at St. Joseph Mercy. By joining you in therapy sessions, your family will observe and learn how to assist you with becoming more independent. They can reinforce and encourage newly learned self-care skills as well as assist with mobility improvement. Depending on your disability, your family may need to learn special skills. The more your family observes and learns while you are in the hospital, the more prepared they will be after your discharge. Other Team Members To meet your specific needs, you may receive services from a: dietitian, vocational specialist, orthotist, prosthetist, or pharmacist. The Facility The Mercy Regional Rehabilitation Center, also known as the Rehabilitation Unit, is the first of its kind in the Blue Water Area and Thumb Region. The word rehabilitation means to make able. Our goal is to help a person become as independent as possible in all areas of daily living. Stroke survivors, amputees, certain spinal cord injuries and patients with brain injuries make up most of the patients we treat. Rehabilitation guidelines for an acute rehabilitation stay include having the need for two or more therapy treatments, being medically stable and having the potential and desire for improvement. Patients must receive a minimum of three hours of therapy a day for at least five out of seven days. The decision to admit a patient to the inpatient rehabilitation unit is made by a physiatrist a doctor who evaluates all patients to ensure they have the potential to benefit from the intensive program. Admission & Evaluation Once admitted to the inpatient program, you and your family work closely with the rehabilitation team to set goals and develop a treatment plan. Each week the health care team meets to discuss your goals and treatment plan. In this meeting, progress is reported on all areas of your rehabilitation. Throughout your rehabilitation stay, family conferences may be held with the team to review your progress, rehabilitation goals and discharge planning. 10 3
Patient Safety Program Your safety is very important to us. You will be assessed for risk of injury when you are admitted. You will also be assessed daily while in the unit. The best way to remain as safe as possible is to make sure you know what may put you at risk for falling and ways to avoid falling. Preventing all falls is impossible, so patients and families need to work with the staff to prevent injuries. Reasons patients fall: Periods of confusion or disorientation Weakness Poor balance Difficulty getting to the restroom Changes in medications History of falls Impulsive behavior (often due to a stroke or other illness) What you can do to avoid falls/injuries: Use the call light for help. Do not get up alone until the treatment team has told you it s safe to do so. Wear nonslip shoes or slippers no socks. Family and visitors should not try to help you get up unless a member of the treatment team has trained them. Inform your nurse if you feel weak, dizzy or unsteady. Place personal items (phone, glasses, water) within reach while in bed or sitting up. Notify the staff if there is a spill or clutter on the floor. The gait belt provided to you should be worn throughout your stay. Please wear your safety belt while in your wheelchair if you are asked to do so. Physical Therapists (PT) Helps you gain strength, balance, coordination and endurance. The physical therapist also works to improve bed movement, getting in and out of bed, transfers, and walking or wheelchair skills. Occupational Therapists (OT) Helps you gain independence in activities of daily living (ADL) such as dressing, personal hygiene and feeding. The OT also focuses on improving strength, coordination and problem solving skills. Speech/Language Pathologists (S/LT) Helps you with problems in speech/communication, language skills, memory, thinking and swallowing (if needed). An audiologist (hearing specialist) may also be involved in your treatment if hearing loss is interfering with communication. Social Worker Can help with emotional support, financial concerns, lifestyle changes and education while planning for discharge. Physician/Medical Staff/Hospitalist The physician who admits you is responsible for directing your care while you are in the hospital. Your physician as the coordinator for your treatment program should be consulted if you have questions about your illness. In addition to your primary care physician, this professional may also be what is known as a hospitalist. Today, many primary care physicians use hospitalists to care for their patients. 4 To find a St. Joseph Mercy physician near you, call toll-free 1-888-MERCYME. 9
The Rehabilitation team With your hard work, our rehabilitation professionals can help you reach your highest level of functioning. Each team member is trained differently, so their continued discussions help to better treat your specific needs. Patient You are the most important member of the team. With your help, therapists and other members of the health care team will establish a plan to meet your specific needs. Physiatrist Medical doctors who specialize in rehabilitation medicine, manage medical care, direct the rehabilitation team and communicate with other physicians. Referral Coordinator Helps facilitate the transfer of patients to the Mercy Regional Rehabilitation Center. Nursing Along with providing for daily care needs, also provides teaching for such areas as: medications, skin breakdown, bowel and bladder management and education of disease process. What to BrinG Clothing Patients wear their own comfortable street clothing during their stay at the center. Suggestions include: Washable slacks or sweat pants (four to five pairs) Shirts/blouses (four to five), button or zipper front closures are recommended Pajamas Walking shoes Undergarments (at least five sets) Socks/stockings (at least five pairs) During cold weather, a sweater may be advisable Dresses are acceptable, if preferred Family members are responsible for washing your clothes at home. Your name should be written on your clothing labels using a permanent marking pen. Hygiene Items A kit is provided for your hygiene needs. However, you may also want to bring your own items from home, including: toothpaste and toothbrush, shaving kit, shampoo, deodorant, special soaps/lotions, and anything else that would make your stay more comfortable Assistive Equipment/Devices If you are currently using any type of equipment or device, such as a wheelchair, walker, cane, hearing aide, glasses or braces, please bring them with you. 8 To learn more about St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron, or the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, visit us online: mymercy.us. 5
General Information Typical rehab Day Schedule Visitors Visits by family and friends are encouraged as they are a very important part of your rehabilitation. Since everyone s needs and activity levels are so individual, please ask a member of your rehabilitation team for specific visiting information. Please note that visiting hours are from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., on weekends and holidays. Telephones Family and friends can call directly to your room. Please ask your nurse for your phone number. You will be more available to receive phone calls in the evening hours. The telephone number for the nursing unit is 810-985-1642. Telephone service is not covered by your insurance. Television A television is provided for your viewing. Television service is not covered by your insurance. Valuables Do not bring valuables with you. The hospital is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles. Hard of Hearing/Deaf Services A Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available as is a telephone handset with amplifier controls. Meals You may, with approval, have dinner with your family and friends in our cafeteria. Please let your nurse know if you would like your meal to be served with your guests. 7 a.m. Wake up. Medications. Possible bathing/ dressing with the occupational therapist before breakfast. 7:40 a.m. Breakfast trays on unit. 8:30 a.m. to noon Therapy sessions: physical, occupational, speech. Physiatrist makes daily rounds to each patient s room. 12 to 12:30 p.m. Lunch trays in Day Room. 1 to 4:30 p.m. Therapy sessions. 5 to 5:30 p.m. Dinner trays in Day Room. 5 to 8 p.m. Visiting hours, friends and relatives. 8 to 9 p.m. Preparation for bed. 9 to 10 p.m. Bedtime. Your Schedule Since at least three hours of therapy are required each day, you should be prepared to be active throughout the day. After your first few days with us, your schedule can be found on the Scheduling Board next to the Day Room. Most therapies are scheduled Monday through Friday. However, a more limited therapy schedule is provided on weekends. 6 7