Inpatient physical rehabilitation

Physical therapy aims to alleviate pain, help you move and perform daily activities more easily. You may need it if you've had a stroke, surgery or injury.

Our goal is to help you complete functional mobility tasks. We will teach and help you perform various stretches and exercises that are designed to improve your strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. We may also use heat, ice, massage or other techniques to improve blood flow, reduce swelling and relieve pain. In addition, our therapists provide wheelchair skills, training and education on how to use assistive devices, as well as how to get in and out of bed or a vehicle safely.

Occupational therapy helps to improve motor skills, balance, and coordination. Our therapists will work with you on completing daily living activities, such as bathing, eating, dressing, going to the bathroom and personal hygiene.

Physical disabilities don't necessarily mean an end to enjoying your favorite hobbies and interests. Our recreational therapists strive to help you stay active in social, church, school, family and volunteer activities. We can help you adapt many leisure skills and provide information about community resources.

A respiratory therapist is a healthcare practitioner trained in pulmonary medicine who works with people experiencing pulmonary disease. We can help if you have a chronic respiratory condition, or if you have developed a breathing disorder due to a heart attack, stroke or another sudden event. Our therapists will also help with breathing treatments and monitoring the use of oxygen.

Our speech therapists work with individuals who may have speech disorders or communication problems. These problems may be developmental, caused by structural abnormalities, or caused by an event, such as a stroke.

Speech therapy can include swallowing exercises, which are essential if you or a loved one have swallowing difficulties after a stroke. Our speech therapists use tests, such as the modified barium swallow or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, to determine any limitations.

As a Stroke Specialty CARF-accredited facility, we have the expertise and capability to care for patients who have experienced a cerebrovascular accident (stroke). Our physicians have stroke rehabilitation training, and the same physicians who cared for you after your stroke can follow up on your care in the rehabilitation unit.

Additional services and treatments we offer include:

• Advanced wound care — Our wound care program provides specialized treatment for any difficult or slow-to-heal wounds.
• Dialysis — While you are in rehabilitation, we can offer specialized in-house dialysis. This is available 24/7 for routine and critical needs. A nephrologist will coordinate your care.
• Dietitian — A dietitian is an expert in nutrition and dietary regulation. Dietitians will follow you while in rehabilitation, and make recommendations based on your medical condition and needs. They also provide education for diabetes management, weight control and healthy eating choices.
• Pediatric rehabilitation — Sunrise Children's Hospital is the only provider in Nevada with a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit featuring specialized programs for children under 18 years old who have suffered a severe injury or illness.
• Psychological services — These services are available to help you with any emotional adjustments after a functional loss from an illness or injury. Subjects include coping skills, stress management, family role changes and emotional well-being.
• Social worker and case manager services — A licensed medical social worker will meet with you and your caregivers regularly to discuss your rehabilitation program and any concerns that arise. They will also help you prepare for discharge from the hospital, work with your insurance to help cover expenses and help coordinate travel if you live outside of Las Vegas.
• Ventilation rehabilitation — Even if you are on mechanical ventilation, our ventilation rehabilitation program begins in the ICU, shortening the time needed to come off the ventilator and potentially speeding up recovery.

At our rehabilitation unit, you will receive physical therapy and occupational therapy. Doctors may order speech therapy for those who need it.

We provide an intense level of therapy, consisting of at least 15 hours per week — typically three hours of therapy spread throughout the day. We also offer one-on-one treatment sessions personalized to your medical condition and functional limitations and designed to help you meet your goals.

When you're admitted, specialists will evaluate your needs, then develop a customized treatment plan for short- and long-term treatment goals. Our staff will also provide ongoing education to help you and your family understand your diagnosis, promote continued health and prepare you for returning to the community.

Depending on your condition, your doctor may order additional laboratory or diagnostic tests. You will most likely receive medicine from the pharmacy as well.

During 2020, our rehabilitation specialists treated:

• 1,002 patients
• 325 brain injuries, both traumatic and nontraumatic
• 216 general rehabilitation cases, including debility, cardiac, and pulmonary
• 194 orthopedic cases, including lower extremity fractures, replacements and other fractures
• 23 spinal cord injuries, including traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries
• 143 strokes
• 63 multi-trauma incidents
• 6 amputations
• 24 neurologic conditions, including Guillain-Barre syndrome

Of our patients, 93 percent rated their overall care in rehabilitation as good to very good. Patients were 55 percent male and 45 percent female. About 79 percent of patients returned home or to a home-like setting. The average number of hours of therapy patients received per week was 17.75 percent.

The following are our stroke outcomes in 2020:

• 143 patients were treated (59 percent male and 41 percent female).
• The average patient age was 69 years old.
• 100 percent of our patients rated that they were satisfied with their care.
• 72 percent of patients returned home or to a home-like setting.
• Patients spent an average of 17.75 hours of therapy per week and spent an average of 16.8 days in rehabilitation.

In 2020, we had the following outcomes for pediatric rehabilitation:

• 15 patients were treated, including 3 traumatic brain injuries, 4 nontraumatic brain injuries and 1 debility.
• Patients were 60 percent male and 40 percent female.
• The average age of our patients was 6.6 years old.
• Patients spent at least 15 hours per week in therapy and stayed in rehabilitation for an average of 17.92 days.
• Some 57 percent of patients returned home or to a home-like setting.