National Rehabilitation Awareness Week occurs each September to honor therapists and therapy assistants. During the month of September and especially National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, we celebrate the rehabilitation professionals who all work together to make a difference in the lives of others. Therapists truly are some of the most highly caring and sensitive individuals who genuinely enjoy helping people. So, we want to say, “A BIG Thank You!” for the compassion, … [Read more...]
Occupational Therapy
Mirror Therapy for Stroke Hemiplegia and Phantom Limb Pain
Mirror therapy for stroke rehab helps improve hand and arm movement. Mirror therapy for stroke rehab is utilized to trick the brain that the affected arm is moving like the unaffected arm by using a reflective illusion. It is a form of motor imagery technique. A visual stimulus of an unaffected area (mainly the arm or hand) is provided to the brain in order to stimulate movement to the affected area. Mirror therapy can be used in the treatment of hemiplegia or phantom … [Read more...]
Body Neglect in Stroke Patients
Body neglect in stroke recovery can be challenging for rehab professionals to address. Below are suggestions to facilitate patient awareness of the affected side. Body neglect in stroke patients is a neuropsychological condition that occurs due to damage in one hemisphere of the brain. Body neglect occurs when there is a deficit in attention or awareness to one side of the field of vision or to the affected limb. Body neglect in stroke recovery can also be referred to … [Read more...]
Sensory Reeducation Exercises: Effective or Not?
Sensory reeducation exercises are a vital aspect of the rehabilitation process following an injury or condition where nerves have been damaged such as stroke or brain injury. Sensory reeducation exercises consist of stimulating different senses including tactile, olfactory, auditory, visual, orofacial, and proprioception. Use of this rehabilitative approach is very common after nerve injuries (especially of the hand) where an impairment has occurred affecting the way the … [Read more...]
Art Therapy Benefits Beyond Mental Health
Art therapy has typically been reserved for patients with mental disorders, but recent research shows art therapy benefits patients with neurological disorders as well. Although contemporary art therapy is a fairly new practice, using art for therapeutic purposes was well known in ancient times. For example, philosophers in ancient Greece referred to the healing power of music with restoring the soul. Fast forward to the 1940′s, the therapeutic use of art was refined into a … [Read more...]
Are You Prepared for PDPM on October 1st?
The journey to PDPM (Patient-Driven Payment Model) presents many new changes for healthcare organizations in the skilled nursing world. On October 1st, PDPM will bring about a paradigm shift from the current RUG-IV system for SNF patients covered in Part A stay. This blog will help your organization prepare for a smooth transition ahead. How is PDPM divided? PDPM consists of five case-mix adjusted components, and one fixed component. The five variable components are: … [Read more...]
Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM)
Skilled nursing facilities need to be prepared NOW for Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM). Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced a new payment model/case-mix model called Patient Driven Payment Model, which will take place starting October 1st, 2019. Ultimately, Patient Driven Payment Model (also known as PDPM) is going to affect the Medicare patient’s stay in skilled nursing facilities across the country. PDPM is replacing the current RUG … [Read more...]
Losing Sleep Because of Work Can Make You Sick
Losing sleep because of work can severely impact your health and well-being. A study done by Dr. Torbjon Akerstedt, PhD and Dr. Kenneth P. Wright, Jr., PhD notes that losing sleep because of work schedules may be doing damage to your overall health. An estimated 40.6 million Americans sleep six hours or less a day based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the most affected are night shift workers. The CDC notes that sleep deprivation can … [Read more...]
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