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Rehabilitation in the extended care facility
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|July 1, 1979
Summary
Extended care facilities can effectively implement rehabilitation programs. Organizing personnel into goal-oriented teams, using the Barthel Index for progress tracking, enables patients with neuromusculoskeletal impairments to return home quickly and affordably.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Extended care facilities often face challenges in providing comprehensive rehabilitation services.
- Optimizing existing personnel is crucial for cost-effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a model for effective rehabilitation within extended care facilities.
- To demonstrate the utility of a goal-oriented team approach and objective progress measurement.
Main Methods:
- Organizing existing facility staff into a dedicated, goal-oriented rehabilitation team.
- Utilizing the Barthel Index for objective assessment of patient functional progress.
Main Results:
- Successful rehabilitation of patients with stroke, orthopedic disorders, and other neuromusculoskeletal impairments.
- Patients were able to return to their previous living situations in a short timeframe.
Conclusions:
- Rehabilitation is feasible and effective in extended care settings.
- A structured, team-based approach enhances patient outcomes and facilitates timely discharge.
- The Barthel Index provides reliable data for monitoring rehabilitation effectiveness.