Submitted by Heartland Health Care Center-Moline
E-Stim. Shortwave Diathermy. Virtual Reality Therapy. What does it all mean? At Heartland Health Care Center-Moline, the latest state-of-the-art rehabilitation treatments are available and explained in terms that mean something to the patient, like pain relief, healing wounds quicker, and getting you back on your feet. According to Sunita Nair, Director of Rehabilitation at Heartland Health Care Center, the technical equipment and training that are at Heartland Health Care Center are not effective if patients don’t realize their benefits. “Too often, patients don’t understand why a certain therapy or exercise is assisting them. We want to educate our patients so that they are their own best advocates for getting better.” A new website http://roadtorecovery.heartland-manorcare.com provides patients a short glimpse of the equipment in use while a therapist explains how and why it works. Therapies for stroke, cardiac, orthopedic, neurological, pulmonary, and oncology recovery are covered.
At Heartland Health Care Center, patients are assessed not only on where they are at the moment they are admitted, but where they need to be to go home. The benefits of some exercises are obvious, such as relearning how to go up and down stairs confidently. Less familiar are the benefits of a patients playing a virtual therapy game that keeps them on their feet for an extended period, which may result in being more confident while standing and preparing a meal in the kitchen. “The average meal preparation takes 30 minutes, and patients need to learn balance, stamina, and fine motor skills to complete the task,” said Sunita Nair, DOR, “Using a Wii game or OmniVR (3D virtual rehabilitation) system therapy tool helps us strengthen patients and engages them so they spend more time standing than with traditional physical therapy methods.” Standing and lifting weights at the LifeFitness machine might prepare a patient for loading a dishwasher or emptying a dryer of clean clothes. “Building stamina on a NuStep machine or Omnicycle might be the difference between simply watching grandchildren play or being able to actively participate in a game,” said Sunita Nair, DOR.
“Tools such as Electrical Stimulation (E-Stim) and Shortwave Diathermy sound scary, but they assist in reducing pain and increasing circulation,” said Sunita Nair, DOR. E-Stim provides gentle electrical stimulation through electrode pads placed at or near the treatment site, which helps with neuromuscular re-education, reducing pain, and strengthening. E-Stim also assists with healing wounds, fall prevention, and joint and orthopedic procedures. Shortwave Diathermy uses electromagnetic waves to increase circulation in the body’s tissues. Diathermy is generally used for larger treatment areas such as knees, hips, and back; it helps with soft tissue injuries, slow healing wounds, arthritis, scar tissue, and contractures. “While it might appear the patient is simply sitting and receiving a passive treatment, they are actually getting ready for more aggressive activities,” said Sunita Nair, DOR.
Heartland Health Care Center, located at 833 16th Avenue, Moline is part of the HCR ManorCare family. The HCR ManorCare healthcare family comprises centers that are leading providers of short-term post-acute services, with 60,000 caregivers nationwide. These locations operate primarily under the respected Heartland and ManorCare Health Services names. Our skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers provide post-hospital care for patients transitioning from hospital to home. Our clinical teams have the demonstrated track record and commitment to impact the success of patients needing this level of post-acute care so that they can return home to a meaningful lifestyle. To view our video vignettes on the post-hospital experience at Heartland/ManorCare, click on http://roadtorecovery.heartland-manorcare.com.