Inpatient Rehabilitation

Inpatient Rehab Unit provides a minimum of three hours of physical and occupational therapy at least five days a week. In addition, patients receive social work services, 24 hour rehab nursing, as well as speech therapy and psychological services (if needed). Your Rehab physician will see you at least three times a week and other physicians will monitor your progress based on your individual needs.

Nursing care is provided 24 hours a day. Team meetings are held at least weekly to discuss each patient’s progress. Family conferences are scheduled as needed or upon request. Community re-entry is a service offered to patients.

The Inpatient Rehab Unit provides:

• Pre-admission Screening – Confidential, free-of-charge pre-admission screenings are conducted to determine if an individual meets criteria and could benefit from inpatient rehabilitation.
• Rehab Physician – The Medical Director overseeing your rehab treatment is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
• Physical Therapy – To assist patients with mobility and strengthening issues, such as learning to walk again and/or learning the use of a wheel chair.
• Occupational Therapy – To assist patients in resuming self-care and the activities of daily living, including vocational needs and/or recreational/community activities.
• Speech Therapy – To assist patients with communication and cognitive impairments, as well as swallowing difficulties following illnesses such as a stroke.
• Rehab Nursing – To assist patients with disability and/or chronic illness to attain and maintain maximum function related to self-care, focusing on medication management, bowel and bladder function, along with carry-over of techniques learned in therapy sessions. The Rehab Nurse serves as a teacher, caregiver, collaborator and patient advocate.
• Social Work – To allow for continuity of the treatment process from pre-admission through follow-up, as well as assisting with discharge planning and continued services after discharge. Discharge planning begins at the time of admission to ensure all of your follow-up needs are met.

As part of our commitment to rehabilitation, Holzer uses cutting-edge technology to help patients regain their strength, mobility, confidence, and freedom. EksoNR is the first robotic exoskeleton FDA cleared for stroke and spinal cord injury neurorehabilitation and the only exoskeleton FDA cleared for acquired brain injury and multiple sclerosis (MS). The wearable device augments strength to help these patients stand and relearn to walk, improving their step patterns, weight shifting, and posture. Holzer is using the device to mobilize patients earlier in their rehabilitation.

As of 2022, each year nearly 60M people experience an acquired brain injury, 15M experience a stroke, and as many as 500,000 individuals experience a spinal cord injury (SCI). There are also more than 1 million people living with MS in the US alone. Early mobilization is especially beneficial for stroke recovery. Gait training with this exoskeleton suit is one of the latest advancements in stroke treatment and neurorehabilitation in general.

Clinical research suggests that including EksoNR gait training during inpatient rehabilitation can improve patients’ gait speed and walking distance. It is the most clinically used exoskeleton and patients around the world have taken over 200 million steps and counting.

For more information on rehabilitation for stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or MS using EksoNR robotic exoskeleton, contact (740) 446-5597. A physical therapy evaluation will help determine eligibility to use the exoskeleton in rehabilitation.

Download the Ekso fact sheet

Holzer’s Inpatient Rehab Unit features a remodeled therapy area and our LiteGait® equipment, the only one available in the area. The LiteGait® is an innovative gait-training device that enhances our services during the recovery process.
Appropriate for use with a wide range of impairments, LiteGait® provides proper posture, reduces weight-bearing, eliminates the risk and fear of falling, and helps coordinate lower-extremity movement.

Its unique harness design not only permits unilateral or bilateral support that allows progression of the weight-bearing load from non to full weight-bearing, but it also frees the therapist to observe gait patterns and make manual corrections in limb placement, weight shift and step timing.

Swallowing is something we tend to take for granted - until we are unable to. An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from swallowing disorders, with approximately 60,000 deaths each year as a result of complications from dysphagia - the medical term for any difficulty or discomfort in swallowing.

Holzer offers E-Stim Therapy services, a proven treatment for dysphagia, a condition most common among stroke survivors, patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, patients with head and neck cancer, and frequent pneumonia patients.

E-Stim Therapy uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing. At the same time, trained specialists help patients "re-educate" their muscles through rehabilitation therapy. Patients on the Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit have had much success with the treatment and in a short amount of time, have their diets increased as a result of the positive effects the therapy has had on their swallowing.

Speech pathologists report more accomplishments in a shorter amount of time with the new device than with traditional treatments. On the Inpatient Rehab Unit, e-stim treatment is typically provided five days per week, or as directed by the Rehab physician.

• How long do I have to stay in rehab?
  Your length of stay depends on how quickly you progress, meet your discharge goals, and the amount of assistance you will have available when you are discharged.
• What kind of clothes do I wear while in rehab?
  You will wear clothes like the ones you wear at home – you will need comfortable clothes that are easy to get on and off. We do have a washer/dryer on the unit.
• When can my family visit?
  Your family can visit anytime as long as it doesn’t interfere with your therapy and/or treatment. Family members are encouraged to watch and participate in therapy.
• Where will I receive my therapy?
  Therapy takes place in the rehab gym, your room, and in the rehab dining area.
• How often will I see my doctor?
  Your rehab physician will see you at least three days/week, and your medical doctor will see you as often as needed.
• If I’m going to a hospital out of town for a procedure, can I come back to Holzer for rehab?
  Yes, just ask your physician, social worker, or case manager to refer you to the Rehab Unit for inpatient rehab. Also, you may call us prior to going out of town to discuss your admission.
• How much therapy will I have and what will my schedule be like?
  You will routinely receive at least three hours of occupational and physical therapy.
• Will I have speech therapy?
  Your treatment is determined by your physician and will include speech therapy as needed (in addition to physical and occupational therapies).
• Can I have a private room?
  The unit has 21 private rooms and 4 semi-private rooms. Every attempt will be made to accommodate your request.

Medicare pays for the cost of inpatient rehabilitation when patients meet the appropriate criteria. Private insurance, Medicaid, and managed care benefits will be verified prior to admission, although this is not a guarantee of payment.