Complex rehab

For those of us working with medically fragile children we have our own set of F-words, and none of them unpleasant. Aligned in the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the F-words of Fitness, Function, Fun, Friends, and Family provide a lighthearted pathway to rehabilitation and a healthy future for children with disabilities.

Individuals hospitalized due to stroke or brain injury have one over-arching goal: to return home and into the community again. Unfortunately, many individuals with lasting debility require placement in long-term care or assisted living instead. This isolation and loss of independence can be devastating to patients and families. Because independent walking is a primary predictor of whether a patient...

Previously on our blog we shared a post about the use of Therabands with the TRAM from Linda Rusiecki, a physical therapist at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids. In another post, Janette Tazzia and Linda Rusiecki tell about Janette’s recovery from a stroke. Now here’s a story of an individual impacted by a spinal cord injury who made remarkable gains with use of the Rifton E-Pacer in his...

In the summer we shared a blog post about the use of Therabands with the TRAM from Linda Rusiecki, a physical therapist at the Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids. Watch Janette Tazzia and Linda Rusiecki tell about Janette’s recovery from a stroke that left her partially paralyzed.

For all of us, standing is an integral part of the developmental sequence. And particularly for people with motor impairments and physical disabilities it is one of the key building blocks that leads to exploratory mobility. (Bower, E.) A child who is unable to stand may be missing out on developmental learning and interaction with the environment. We know the many benefits of standing as well: improved...

For children with complex disabilities the transition from school to adult services can be brutal: therapy and equipment that is considered standard in the school suddenly disappears, funding evaporates, and families struggle to bridge the gap. But this is slowly changing. Many healthcare facilities now try to provide a seamless transition into this new stage of life with specialized and comprehensive...

Why Worry about Lifting? In the healthcare setting, manually lifting or transferring patients causes musculoskeletal injury for both staff and patients. As a result, many healthcare facilities have implemented “no-lift” or “zero-lift” safe patient handling (SPH) policies requiring the use of mechanical lifts for all patient transfer and positioning tasks. The results have been...