St. Augustine's Rehabilitation Program provides services for people of any age who are recovering from an illness, injury, or disability which prevents them from performing activities that are necessary or meaningful to that person.  This can include the ability to bathe and dress oneself, perform housework such as cooking, perform job duties, succeed in school, or to participate in one’s religion and community.

There is an ever greater push for people to remain in their homes rather than in a hospital or nursing facility while recovering from an illness or injury.  If a person returns home after a stay in the hospital, it is often necessary to teach skills to be safe at home.  This can involve training in the use of equipment such as an elevated toilet seat, a bench for the tub, or making recommendations for grab bars.  It may also be necessary to teach a safe way to get around the kitchen and prepare a meal for someone who needs to temporarily use a walker or crutches.

Our Occupational Therapists also address the body’s ability to function.  In the case where a person has lost the ability to perform an activity due to a specific injury or condition in their hands or arms, they can fabricate splints, prescribe an exercise program, and perform a variety of hands-on treatments to improve function, reduce pain and increase independence.  It is their job to find the cause of a person’s decreased ability and try to correct it through a variety of ways.
 

The open and airy physical setting on the fifth floor supports continuity between Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. The Rehabilitation Program also maintains  an outpatient therapy care center.

A major factor in the success of our Rehabilitation Program is St. Augustine’s commitment to our in-house staff of therapists and restorative nurses. While many other facilities rely upon contract therapists, our Rehabilitation Program is comprised of dedicated, experienced employees who are committed to our mission and our residents. The use of in-house staff supports our team approach to our patients’ care and rehabilitation.