By Patty Gaughran, RN, MA Case Managers steward each patient through the entire stay from admission to discharge. In a sense, they are the logistics managers of patient care. These professionals are responsible for safely seeing each patient through their Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH)...
Do you have what it takes to work in a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH)? Working in this arena can be emotionally challenging at times, but professionals in this environment realize two important key benefits: They develop comprehensive knowledge about treating acutely ill patients and...
Crowds gather across the country to watch the ball in Times Square drop and ring in the New Year. Everyone eagerly counts down the final moments of the outgoing year: Ten…nine…eight and so on. During those final seconds, partygoers make their resolutions for the coming year. Let’s Be...
By Susan Becker, M.S. CCC/SLP Speech-Language Pathologist As discussed in a previous blog entry, patients with Parkinson’s Disease develop problems with speaking and communicating. As the medical industry progresses, devices and tools become available to patients to help with communication. Below are several assistive devices that are available...
By Susan Becker, M.S. CCC/SLP Speech-Language Pathologist Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that takes years to develop and progresses slowly in most people. Persons with PD have decline in the production of dopamine. As a result; there is decreased ability to regulate movements, body...
By Susan Becker, Speech Therapist Aphasia is the inability to speak and/or understand spoken language. It is usually caused by having a stroke but can result from a brain tumor, traumatic brain injury and a variety of other neurological disorders. Imagine having words staged in your mind and...
By Susan Becker, Speech Therapist What is Dysphagia? Simply put, Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing or the inability to swallow. Dysphagia may be present with the following conditions: Stroke Certain types of Cancer Respiratory difficulties (tracheostomy, COPD, Asthma) Neuromuscular disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and more. There are different...
Breathing is something most people take for granted. Inhale deeply, fill the lungs to capacity then hold the breath for a second and slowly exhale. Imagine what it would be like if you were not able to complete this simple task. Now think about how...
Q: How many times in a day are patients seen for Therapy? A: Once a day by either PT or OT or both as patient is able to tolerate. Speech Therapy will see them 2-3 times a week. Q: How many hours of therapy a day? A: About...
The American Physical Therapy Association has celebrated National Physical Therapy month in October for the last twenty years. This month, we recognize Physical Therapists (PTs) for all of their incredible work. Educating the public about the purpose and many benefits of physical therapy is the...