What to Expect
One of the first steps that occur when a child is accepted into the Neurorehabilitation Program is development of long-term and short-term goals. Our goal is to improve each child’s skills and abilities and to increase functional independence as much as possible. During the child’s stay, each day will consist of many activities designed to meet his or her special needs.
 |
| 12th Floor Therapy Gym |
Children who are admitted to the Neurorehabilitation Program will stay on the 12th floor. The therapy gym is located adjacent to the patient rooms. During their stay, children and families will likely visit many other areas of the hospital as well, including the school room, play room, teen lounge, Olson Family Garden, or the Family Resource Center.
As progress is made, the child and members of the team may go on a Therapeutic Community Outing (TCO). This might be a trip to Forest Park, to the zoo, to a local shopping mall, or to a local restaurant. Each TCO is designed to achieve specific goals and support the use of newly learned skills in a natural environment. And in the process, we have fun!
At some point before discharge, the family is encouraged to take the child on a Functional Trial Visit. This is an opportunity to go out into the community or to go home briefly and see which areas of the child’s care the family is comfortable with and what additional support or training they may need before discharge.
Many supports are in place to help the child and family prepare for discharge. These include:
- Home or school visits
- Equipment assessments and recommendations
- Community resource information
- Follow up appointments
