Inpatient Rehabilitation

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Overview

Acute care therapists provide care for patients of all ages with urgent medical conditions that require immediate attention within a hospital setting. Treatment programs are developed to meet each patient’s individual needs and may include physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech-language pathology. Our therapists work with patients who are affected by disease, injury, neurological complications and movement dysfunctions. Therapy is coordinated with the patient, family and/or caregivers and the hospital team to ensure the patient has the appropriate equipment and support in their discharge environment. Therapeutic goals target safe functional levels for patients, and may include safe mobilization, performing daily tasks, improving cognitive functioning, addressing swallowing disorders, and preparing for the next level of care.

Types of Therapies We Offer

Physical Therapy

ICU early mobilization
Post-operative education
Recommendations for assistive devices (walkers, wheelchairs, canes and crutches)
Home exercise program prescription
Functional mobility training (education on bed mobility, transfers, walking, stairs, etc.)
Education on brace management
Pain relief management
Patient and caregiver education
Neuromuscular re-education
Balance and gait retraining (fall prevention strategies)

Occupational Therapy

Promotion of daily living activities (dressing, bathing, toileting)
Recommendations for adaptive equipment (sock aide, reacher, long handled sponge, shoehorn)
Cognitive and visual perception training
Functional activity promotion (mobility, transfers, walking)
Home exercise program prescription
Patient and caregiver education
Compensatory and/or adaptive techniques, including fabrication of splints and other adaptive devices
Fine motor skills and upper extremity re-training
Post-operative education
Strengthening and conditioning activities

Speech-language Pathology

Cognitive therapy
Communication skills strategies
Adressing expressive and receptive language impairments
Strategies for managing hearing impairments
Swallowing and feeding therapy

Hospital-based Locations

Center-based Locations

Acute vs. Subacute Care

Acute inpatient rehabilitation takes place in a hospital and is more specialized and comprehensive than subacute rehabilitation services offered in nursing facilities. In the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting, a patient is expected to make significant functional gains and medical improvement within a reasonable period of time, based on the severity of their condition. Subacute rehabilitation is less intense than acute rehabilitation.
Acute Rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus

YNHH Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at Bridgeport Hospital's Milford Campus provides an intensive program for those recovering from an injury, surgery or illness. Around-the-clock care is provided by our nursing and medical staff. Individualized therapy takes place 7 days per week.

Learn more about this location
Subacute Rehabilitation at Grimes Center at Yale New Haven Hospital – Saint Raphael Campus

Whether you are recovering from elective surgery or sudden illness, Grimes Center offers the most comprehensive and holistic rehabilitative care available. We are dedicated to guiding and supporting you to better health.

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Pediatric Cancer Rehabilitation at Smilow Cancer Hospital

Yale New Haven Hospital offers a full range of rehabilitation services to help cancer patients through all phases of cancer. Whether newly diagnosed or long finished with treatment, cancer patients receive customized, comprehensive therapy provided by a specially trained team of professionals.

Cancer rehabilitation is designed to help improve the patient’s function and quality of life.

Our care team has specialized training in physical and occupational therapy, exercise physiology, nutrition, speech-language pathology and counseling who are dedicated to the well-being of cancer survivors. We provide guidance, training and support during cancer treatments and through your recovery to help:

Build strength and flexibility
Improve range of motion
Reduce pain
Optimize nutrition
Increase energy
Enhance balance and endurance
Improve speech and swallowing
Increase peace of mind
Manage lymphedema (swelling)

Pediatric Rehabilitation at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital

Pediatric rehabilitation services offer examination, evaluation and intervention for children, from birth through adolescence, who are experiencing functional limitations or disability due to trauma, developmental issues or disease.

Our team consists of physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists who work with patients and their families to develop customized treatment plans. Therapy sessions may include exercises, training in the use of adaptive equipment or age-specific play-based activities to support your child's development and recovery.

Pediatric physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) can teach you how to:

Position your baby to promote optimal positioning for further development
Recognize signs of stress and teach how to move and interact with your baby that does not cause them stress
Touch your baby in a positive way to support bonding
Know when your baby is ready for touch, movement and visual stimulation
Know when your baby is ready for toys and other stimulation
Strengthen your baby’s arms, legs and body to be able to move freely
Progress developmental skills like tummy time, rolling, sitting and toy play

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy uses exercise and therapeutic play activities to address movement, coordination, balance, strength and endurance issues in infants, children and young adults. We also work with your child’s medical team, caregivers, school and community to encourage your child to function independently.

Our staff works with the entire medical team to create a personalized treatment plan and coordinate your child's care. We provide a variety of diagnostic and rehabilitation services including:

Assistance with pain relief and management
Balance and gait retraining
Body mechanics education
Breathing control and strengthening
Early ICU mobilization after surgery or injury
Exercise programming
Family education and training
Functional mobility training
Instruction for safe ambulation
Neuromuscular re-education
Soft-tissue mobilization
Wheelchair and other mobility equipment training

Pediatric Physical Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Pediatric PTs in the NICU are specially trained to help your baby maximize their development of gross motor skills. PTs work with you to learn your baby's "signs and signals" and progress their sensory and developmental stimulation to build skills that will lay the groundwork for achieving future developmental milestones.

As part of the multi-disciplinary developmental team, PTs in the NICU can help your baby with exercise to enhance motor skills and coordination. We assess your baby’s strength, range of motion and tolerance for stimulation.

Pediatric PTs follow your child's cues as they progress. This allows our team to provide the right challenges to support their growth and development. Our priority is to work with you, as the caregiver, to help your baby be comfortable and support their development. We provide activities for you to work on while in the hospital and help advocate ongoing therapy at discharge if needed.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital provides services to infants, children and young adults. These services can address the direct effects of physical injuries as well as the social, emotional and physiological effects of illness, injury and prolonged hospitalization. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with your child to enhance participation in everyday activities and play so they can return to home, school or work.

We offer a wide range of diagnostic and rehabilitation services including:

Support and education using assistive technology
Cognition and visual perception
Compensatory and/or adaptive techniques, including fabrication of splints and other adaptive devices
Feeding therapy
Fine motor skills and upper extremity re-training
Progression of developmental skills, such as feeding
Retraining of life skills
Sensory processing therapy
Strengthening and conditioning

Pediatric Occupational Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Pediatric OTs in the NICU help your baby participate in “occupations” such as bonding with a caregiver, receiving care (i.e. diaper changes) and exploring their environment, play and feeding. OTs will help you learn to care for and interact with your baby in meaningful ways and help develop skills that will lay the groundwork for achieving future developmental milestones.

As part of a multi-disciplinary feeding team, OTs in the NICU can help your baby with feeding by assessing your baby’s readiness to feed safely by mouth, especially if they are having difficulty feeding or taking a bottle.

Pediatric OTs help your child grow and develop by following your child's cues as they progress. Our priority is to educate parents to ensure their baby is comfortable and supported in their development.

An OT will work with your baby on an as-needed basis and varies based on each baby’s needs. OTs evaluate your baby, determine their current needs and create a plan to best meet those needs.

If your child needs occupational therapy after they leave the hospital, your child's OT will help to create a plan to continue services.

Learn more about rehabilitation at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital

Rehabilitation at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital

Rehabilitation services at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YNHPH) specialize in the care of adolescent and adult patients with mental health conditions and substance misuse disorders. Comprised of highly trained occupational therapists, psychiatric counselors and recreational specialists, the focus of rehabilitation services at YNHPH is to maximize the overall health and wellness of patients. We do this through functional skill-building groups and individual interventions that are essential to leading fulfilling and rewarding lives.

Individualized occupational therapy services include specialized assessment and treatment in the following specialty areas:

Activities of daily living
Discharge planning for caregivers
Adaptive equipment
Cognitive functioning
Community life skills
Self-care
Sensory processing/modulation

Learn about adolescent psychiatric care at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital

Learn about adult psychiatric care Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital

McGivney Surgical Center at Saint Raphael Campus

The McGivney Advanced Surgery Center at Yale New Haven Hospital – Saint Raphael Campus specializes in outpatient, same-day surgical treatment for bone, joint and spine conditions. The advanced surgery center is part of Yale New Haven Hospital and has earned the highest-level certifications from The Joint Commission for all major orthopedic services, including knee and hip replacement. We have dedicated physical and occupational therapists to evaluate select same-day surgical patients to ensure a safe discharge home, offer recommendations for walking devices (such as a walker, cane or crutches) and provide patient education protocols and home exercise programs as appropriate.

Learn about McGivney Advanced Surgery Center