Rebuilding Strength, Restoring Independence

Amazing recoveries happen every day in the Saline Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Department, where we help patients get past the hurdles of recovery and back to their lives, work, family, and independent living. 

Rehabilitation therapy programs for general debility focus on helping people rebuild muscle strength and stamina, recover their maximum physical function, and return home as soon as possible. We work to establish personalized goals and expectations. We focus on prevention. Our goal is to ensure that once you achieve your maximum level of work, sports, or performance capability, the problems don’t come back.

General Debility

Whether from surgery or an illness, general debility is a condition in which a person feels weak and sapped of energy, making it hard to handle even typical daily activities. Feeling weak or lacking strength can start a cycle that leads people to do less and less, and their bodies to continue to lose strength.

General debility rehabilitation therapy helps patients improve their physical health and quality of life. It incorporates guided exercise and education to help patients cope with daily activities and make lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking or losing weight, to help improve their overall health.

Loss of Function and Common Problems Associated with General Debility

• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Decreased mobility
• Increased risk of falls

Our Rehabilitation Team

Our interdisciplinary rehabilitation team is committed to helping each patient and family progress to recovery. This specialized team evaluates and develops a personalized treatment plan designed to help each individual recover and develop the skills needed to return home and live as independently as possible. 

The rehabilitation team might include:

• Patient/caregiver
• Physicians specializing in rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation nurses
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech therapists
• Case managers/social workers
• Nutritional counselors

Rehab in the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting or Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital

Each treatment plan is designed specifically for you to meet your therapy goals and medical needs. It typically includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy:

• Physical therapists focus on exercise routines designed to strengthen and maintain existing muscle function. Our physical therapists also will help you learn how to use any required mobility devices. 
• Occupational therapists help you learn techniques for managing self-care activities such as dressing and bathing, as well as everyday activities like home management. They also will provide instruction for equipment that will help you better perform these activities. 
• Speech therapists often provide training regarding breathing and swallowing.

Areas of focus:

• Teaching adapted activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Progressive exercise regimen tailored to fit each patient’s needs and abilities
• Anxiety and pain management
• Patient and family education
• Healthy lifestyle programs such as nutrition education, smoking cessation, stress and weight reduction

Rehab in the Outpatient Setting

With outpatient rehabilitation, therapists help patients with individualized strength, mobility, and balance training. They assess each patient’s current level of function and recommend home exercise programs and strategies to improve home safety. Education and one-on-one training also are provided for both the patient and the patient’s family and caregivers.

Caregiver Support

We know the critical role caregivers and family members play in helping their loved ones recover after an illness or injury. We also know it can be stressful at times. Our care team offers support and information to help caregivers and other loved ones understand the recovery process and how to best help their loved one. They also will help direct caregivers to the right resources so they can get help and support when they need it.

Here at Saline Memorial Hospital, we offer both an acute inpatient rehabilitation program and outpatient therapy services. Our acute inpatient rehabilitation program is nationally accredited with CARF International, demonstrating our commitment to following evidence-based best practices for delivering high quality rehabilitative care, focusing on the unique needs of each patient and monitoring the results of our services.

For more information on our acute inpatient rehabilitation program, visit SalineMemorial.org/Rehab or call 501.776.6630. For more information on outpatient therapy services, visit SalineMemorial.org/Therapy-Services or call 501.776.6145.