Acute Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy
Our physical and occupational therapists are specially trained to work with patients with serious medical conditions who are in the hospital. We will focus with you on early mobilization and functional re-training in self-help skills. These are necessary components of your recovery process.
Our goal is to:
- Increase your independence in moving
- Increase your independence in completing daily activities such as dressing, grooming, bathing and eating
- Identify medical equipment and therapy services needed after you leave our hospital
- Therapy services in Houston Methodist Hospital are initiated in conjunction with your doctors, with their request for therapy consultation. Your therapy sessions are delivered at your bedside. Please be assured that our standards of therapy care have been established using evidence, as well as guidelines from the American Physical Therapy Association and American Occupational Therapy Association
Special equipment in our department which may be helpful to certain patients includes:
- Moveo
- Shuttle press
- Pulsalative Lavage
- Qoustic Wound Therapy Mist System
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on returning the person to his or her daily activities with maximum independence by improving strength, endurance and motor skills through activity retraining and activity adaptation. Programs include education about activity limitations and adaptations for use in hospital or at home.
OT services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Evaluation
- Retraining on activities of daily living
- Therapeutic exercise
- Wheelchair modification and mobility
- Splint fabrication and training
- Energy conservation strategies
- Muscle retraining
- Cognitive retraining
- Acute physical and occupational therapy
- Skilled nursing facility physical and occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation Center
- Outpatient Therapy Centers
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy (PT) focuses on improvement of strength, endurance, flexibility, motor control and stability to support the person’s return to his or her normal functional activities.
Programs include patient education about the existing impairments or disease processes, the recovery process and the return to the individual’s optimal level of independence.
PT services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Evaluation
- Gait training
- Balance and coordination training
- Therapeutic exercise
- Endurance training
- Pain management
- Muscle retraining
- Wheelchair mobility
- Wound care and non-surgical selective debridement
- Lower limb prosthetic training.
- Acute physical and occupational therapy
- Skilled nursing facility physical and occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation Center
- Outpatient Therapy Centers
Therapeutic Recreation
Our goal in therapeutic recreation (TR) is to improve a person’s function and help the person to remain active and independent in life, including leisure activities.
Scope of Practice
Therapeutic recreation utilizes a wide range of activity and interventions to improve patients' physical, cognitive, emotional, social and leisure needs. Our recreational therapists assist patients in the Houston Methodist Skilled Nursing Unit and Houston Methodist Rehabilitation Center to develop skills, knowledge and behaviors for daily living and community involvement.
Your individualized therapy goals will be established and based on objective findings of the therapist’s evaluation, your preferences and best practices in TR. Therapeutic recreational activities may be delivered at your bedside, in a community room on your patient unit, or during “outings” on our campus.
Our standards of care have been established using evidence and guidelines from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association.
Qualifications
Our certified therapeutic recreation specialists (CRTS) are registered by the state and have experience and training to work in skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation with adults who have various serious medical conditions.
Therapeutic rehabilitation services at Houston Methodist include the following:
- Evaluation
- Patient education
- Practice of leisure activities
- Adaption of leisure activities