Patient Stories
Rehab after a Traumatic Brain Injury... Hear Sara's story
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Brain injuries can be very frightening; you want to know what to expect and how long recovery will take. We can help address those overwhelming feelings and answer those difficult questions.
In 2011, St. Luke’s served 64 brain injured patients from Iowa and surrounding states.
Comprehensive Team
We take a team approach in brain injury rehabilitation. Included are:
- Physiatrists
- Rehabilitation Neurologists
- Neuropsychologists
- Medical/Health Psychologists
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Therapists
- Recreational Therapists
- Rehabilitation Nurses
- Patient Care Coordinators
- Social Workers
- Pastoral Care Services
- Dieticians
Individualized Plan
Programs have an emphasis on developing skills such as feeding, drinking, bathing, grooming, communication, mobility, as well as basic behavior skills for a safe transition outside of a hospital setting.
Services for brain injured patients are provided in a variety of settings, depending on the severity of the injury and stage of recovery including:
- Inpatient care- Patients who need comprehensive care benefit from a full range of services available in our technically advanced, yet friendly inpatient unit.
- Outpatient care- Comprehensive outpatient therapy is available at St. Luke’s Hospital outpatient therapy department.
- Individual therapy- Patients have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a therapist throughout their rehab stay.
- Additional support services includes a monthly brain injury support group, as well as a support group for care givers.
Functional Independence Measurement (FIM)
The FIM Instrument is a nationally recognized instrument that measures a patient’s functional abilities in areas such as eating, grooming, toileting, transfers, mobility, bowel/bladder management, communication and cognitive skills.
The FIM change rating shows how much a patient improved from admission to discharge. In 2011, 73 percent of our traumatic brain injury patients achieved their FIM goals during their rehab stay.
Length of Stay for patients with traumatic head injuries
A patient’s time in the hospital is always reviewed to ensure we’re making the most of your stay. In 2011, 74 percent of St. Luke's traumatic brain injury patients were able to return home, compared with the national average of 73 percent.
Transfers Back to Acute Care
On average, 11.9 percent of traumatic brain injured patients in rehabiliation experience unplanned transfers back to acute care, whereas only 8.7 percent of St. Luke's patients required these unplanned transfers for medical stabilization.
For more information about St. Luke’s brain injury expertise, call 319/369-8096.
Additional Brain Injury Resource
Iowa Brain Injury Association
Brain Injury Resource Center
Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide
COMPASS' Brain Injury
Brain Injury Association of Iowa
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Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for both the Inpatient Rehabilitation program and St. Luke’s Brain Injury program. St. Luke’s also holds accreditation with the Joint Commission. |
For More Information
St. Luke's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
319/369-7331
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