Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy

Patients are referred to physical, occupational, or speech therapy for skilled services at Chester County Hospital  to improve or maintain FUNCTION. The assessment of function should compare their previous level to their current level plus taking into account "best clinical practice" and insurance guidelines. These skilled services include mobility, activities of daily living, communications and effective swallowing.

Physical Therapy

Services are ordered if the patient has diminished strength, balance, gait, or neuromuscular functions:

• That require skilled intervention;
• When function prior to hospitalization has decreased;
• And has achievable functional goals like:
  
  • Mobilizing out of bed
  • Transferring to/from home surfaces independently or with minimal assistance
  • Ambulating with minimal or supervised assistance

Occupational Therapy

Services are ordered if the patient has diminished function in completing Activities of Daily Living (ADL's), or other life situations:

• Decreased capabilities compared to functional levels prior to hospitalization;
• Challenges to self care;
• Require caregiver training as needed for safe disposition home;
• Require instructions to patients for safe post-operative protocols;
• Require instructions to patients in safe transfers for functional mobility;
• Require training or re-education of/for:
  
  • Neuro-muscular function
  • Nrogressing upper extremity strength
  • Upper extremity splinting
  • Adaptive equipment training

Speech Therapy

Services are ordered if the patient has diminished speech/language communications:

• Change from baseline communication skills;
• Neuro event suspected or confirmed;
• Decreased effective swallow:
  
  • for nutrition and hydration;
  • difficulty managing secretions
  • difficulty managing current diet level;
  • signs and symptoms of dysphagia and/or aspiration noted, suspected, or reported (by patient, nursing, family, or MD).

After receiving consultation for therapy services at Chester County Hospital, the physical therapist (PT), occuptional therapist (OT), or speech therapist (ST) will evaluate the patient and make appropriate recommendations for rehabilitation taking into account the patient's previous level of function and their current levels. A "Plan of Care" will be established for patients assessed as appropriate for skilled services. If inappropriate for rehabilitative skilled needs, the patient will be discharged from the service. A change in functional status during current hospitalization may require a physicians re order if the patient previously had been evaluated and discharged by PT/OT/ST.

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