Rehabilitation services are a main focus of the Almost Home program. The goal of therapy, as part of the rehabilitation process, is to enable you to return to your highest level of function. Patients may need a variety of therapy services based on their individual needs. Our experienced and dedicated therapy staff—including physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists—will evaluate you and develop an individualized plan of care to address your specific needs.
Almost Home Swing Bed Program
An option for rehabilitation close to home. Our Almost Home nursing and rehabilitation team is committed to helping you transition from hospital care to your home.
Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation
- Physician oversight
- Nursing care
- Wound care
- Case management and insurance plans
- Spiritual care services
- Activities
- Patients have recently had joint replacement surgery and need daily therapy
- Patients had a stroke and could improve their level of capability function with continued daily therapy
- Patients are recovering from a heart attack or acute episode of congestive heart failure
- Patients with an illness or disease who need strengthening or nutritional therapy
- Patients recovering from major surgery or an accident
- Patients with wounds that are not healing and need special care
This may include:
- Increasing strength
- Improving balance and coordination
- Transferring safely to an automobile, toilet, bath, etc.
- Performing activities of daily living, such as bathing, cooking and dressing
Physician oversight
Medical needs are managed by an internal medicine physician based at the hospital. The hospitalist is available on-site every day to provide oversight and direction for your medical care, nursing care and therapy.
Nursing care
You will have a private room with 24-hour nursing care. You are encouraged to wear your own clothing and bring items from home to make your stay more comfortable. Our nursing team members will assist you as you progress along your path to recovery. In addition to guidance with your daily care needs, our skilled nursing services include the following:
Medical needs are managed by an internal medicine physician based at the hospital. The hospitalist is available on-site every day to provide oversight and direction for your medical care, nursing care and therapy.
Nursing care
You will have a private room with 24-hour nursing care. You are encouraged to wear your own clothing and bring items from home to make your stay more comfortable. Our nursing team members will assist you as you progress along your path to recovery. In addition to guidance with your daily care needs, our skilled nursing services include the following:
- IV antibiotics
- Tube feedings and nutritional stabilization
- Application of dressings
- Instructions and care for wounds and ulcers
- Medication administration and instruction
- Patient education for insulin administration, blood sugar testing and diet management
- Instructions for ostomy or stoma care
- Improve overall strength and coordination
- Offer training on getting in and out of bed and into a chair
- Help with stair climbing
- Increase walking or wheelchair mobility
- Provide balance training for sitting and standing
- Help patients regain their independence
- Provide family and/or caregiver education and training
- Improve upper body strength and coordination
- Address safety issues with mobility in the context of daily tasks and within the home environment
- Provide adaptive equipment education and training
- Offer self-care training, such as dressing, bathing, grooming and feeding
- Teach complex daily tasks, including meal preparation, money management, driving skills and homemaking
- Address decreased sensation issues, including safety
- Teach patients how to maintain functional mobility during daily tasks, such as showering, toileting and homemaking tasks
- Enhance memory, attention span, problem solving and decision-making skills
- Provide family and/or caregiver education and training
- Improve what is understood and read
- Help to regain speaking and writing abilities
- Return swallowing skills to a safe level with recommended safe foods and beverages
- Improve thinking and memory skills
- Provide family and/or caregiver education and training
We provide a full line of basic and advanced wound care services, including:
- Advanced dressings/changes
- Negative pressure wound therapy (wound vac)
- We provide a full line of basic and advanced wound care services, including:
- Complicated surgical wound treatment
- Wound infection treatment
- Lymphedema treatment
- Treatment for venous and arterial insufficiency complications
- Treatment of all types of ostomy patients
We strive to provide fun and enjoyable activities during your stay in our Almost Home program. At the beginning of your stay, the occupational therapy department asks you about your interests and hobbies and creates a plan based on your preferences. Individual activities are offered daily. A wide variety of activity items are available, including:
- Board games, cards and puzzles
- Word searches, crossword puzzles and Sudoku
- Needlework and crafting supplies
- Painting and drawing supplies
- Movies, novels and magazines
- Radio, books, and audio books
Caring for your physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing is a primary concern of the Almost Home Program. Our chapel is open 24 hours a day for private reflection. Our Spiritual Care Ministers on staff offer many opportunities to address your spiritual/religious needs including:
- Prayer and sacramental ministry
- Discussing various spiritual issues such as meaning/purpose in life or illness, gratitude, forgiveness, grief/loss
- Assisting with identifying various spiritual resources and practices
- Providing active listening as you share your life story
- Assisting with contacting local faith leader
- Assisting with completion or clarification of Advance Directive (i.e. Power of Attorney for health care) or emergency care DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) form
- Providing pastoral/spiritual support as you journey through your rehabilitation program
Case management: The case manager provides case coordination, discharge planning, and assessment of social needs. The case manager partners with clinical providers to assess your overall progress throughout your stay.
Insurance plans to serve your health care needs: local residents. We deliver region-leading, high-value health care to the families and communities we serve. Many health insurance plans have chosen HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital as a preferred provider, so you have a choice in your health care. Our team of experts can assist with the verification of insurance benefits and the authorization process.