Inpatient Rehabilitation

Whether you find yourself in the hospital for an elective orthopedic surgery or a medical event that affects your functional mobility or speech/swallowing abilities, rehab services is here to help.  Our department consists of three branches:

• Physical Therapy (PT) to help you safely get back on your feet, get stronger, and teach you strategies that will improve your functional mobility.
• Occupational Therapy (OT) to help with personal care and activities of daily living such as dressing and personal grooming.
• Speech Language Pathology (SLP) to help determine safe swallowing guidelines and assess and treat communication disorders such as slurred speech, difficulty with word finding and comprehension to help you best communicate with loved ones and the hospital staff.

Our clinicians are highly trained in their field, and their mission is to improve quality of life.

The Rehab staff collaborates with the Care Management team to help determine the best and safest place for you upon discharge from the hospital. Woodridge Rehabilitation and Nursing is a UVM Health Network - CVMC facility located nearby if you need further care or strengthening prior to return home. We also have several clinics located in Montpelier, Barre, Northfield, Waitsfield, Waterbury, Berlin, and on the Barre-Montpelier Road to meet your outpatient therapy needs.

Physical Therapy’s Role in Acute Care

Physical therapy (PT) plays an important role in the acute care setting regarding patients who have experienced a sudden decline in medical and functional status due to a traumatic event, worsening of a progressive disease, or the onset of a new condition.

The goal of acute care physical therapy is to help the patient progress and gain the strength they need to move to the next level of care. Often physical therapy will be asked to evaluate a patient’s current level of function in light of their illness. The PT will provide exercises for the patient to work on to help restore their strength for returning to their baseline.

The PT will also make recommendations to the team regarding the discharge plan. The patient may be appropriate for further rehabilitation in a skilled setting prior to return home. The PT will work with nursing, care management, doctors and family to help make the best recommendations for next level of care.

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Acute Care

Occupational therapy plays an important role in the acute care setting regarding patients who have experienced a sudden decline in medical and functional status due to a traumatic event, worsening of a progressive disease, or the onset of a new condition. Occupational therapy scope of practice includes facilitating early mobilization, restoring function, preventing further decline, participating in an interdisciplinary plan of care and coordinated discharge plan.

How Occupational Therapy Complements Medical Plan of Care

• Provide training in self-care activities with adaptive devices, durable medical equipment, or compensatory techniques
• Neuro-muscular re-education activities for trunk and upper extremity
• Remediate upper extremity weakness through exercise and relevant simulated activities
• Evaluate cognitive and perceptual deficits
• Train patients in postsurgical protocols, including precautions and appropriate weight bearing during activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Family and caregiver education and training

Speech Language Pathology’s Role in Acute Care

Following a stroke, acute illness, or a recurrent pneumonia, your Speech Language Pathologist/Therapist may assess your swallowing abilities, adjust your diet, and develop strategies to allow you to eat with the least risk of aspiration of food or liquids into your lungs.  If your speech ability has been affected, the SLP is instrumental in helping you learn new strategies for communicating effectively with the acute care staff and family members.