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The Neuro Care Unit provides integrated, comprehensive rehabilitation services to individuals who have physical and /or cognitive deficits resulting from neurological illness, injury, or disease process. Admission to the Neuro Care Unit provides intense medical management, low patient to nurse ratio and interdisciplinary therapy services. The primary goal of the Neuro Care Program is to maximize an individual's function and decrease dependency on the caregiver.
Patients on the Neuro Care Unit are medically supervised by a physiatrist and treatment is provided by a highly qualified professional staff designated specifically for this program. The Neuro Care Program has its own treatment space, bed assignment and equipment.
Health Care Team
The interdisciplinary team taking care of patients in WakeMed's Neuro Care Unit, beyond our specialized team of physicians, include the following:
- Family Members/Caregivers
- Psychologists/Neuropsychologists
- Clinical Case Managers
- Recreational Therapists
- Nutritionists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Physical Therapists
If services not available on the Neuro Care Unit are needed, referrals, contracts or consultations will be made to provide patients with appropriate services. Provision is made to include all consulting services and external case managers as members of the interdisciplinary team.
Individualized Treatment Plan
Upon admission to the Neuro Care Unit each individual receives a comprehensive assessment and evaluation by the team members involved in his/her treatment.
The treatment team will meet for an initial team conference to develop an Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP) based on realistic, achievable, functional goals as well as planned interventions for attaining these goals. The ITP is structured to include current functional status and discharge planning issues.
An estimated length of stay and assessment of discharge needs are identified along with the long-term goals. Through the case management process, the ITP is shared with the patient/family and with the individual's insurer to facilitate communication, reimbursement and collaborative discharge planning.
Caregiver Involvement
Patient and family involvement in the Neuro Care Program begins during the preadmission and assessment phases, and then continues throughout the program. The patient and family are provided with the ITP which includes the comprehensive treatment plan, current functional status, and goals by the Clinical Case Manager every week. Specific goals are discussed during patient treatment sessions and during family training sessions.
Even for the patients who are not cognitively able to participate in setting goals, every effort is made to include patient/family needs and goals. The Neuro Care treatment team collaborates not only with patients and families, but also extensively with other team members. Goal conflicts are addressed primarily through the case management process or family conferences but may also be addressed during family training sessions or other family contacts.
Discharge
Each patient's treatment program includes orientation, assessment, treatment, discharge planning and follow up. Discharge dates are planned or set when continued hospitalization is no longer necessary, patient and family are adequately prepared and discharge destinations are finalized.
Upon discharge, each patient and family receives a follow-up plan:
- Telephone numbers for the nursing unit and doctor's offices for questions or problems after discharge
- Follow up medical appointments
- List of medications, doses and directions for use
- Therapy prescriptions
- Recommendations for activity levels
- Dietary instructions
- Contacts with follow up therapy services
- Contacts with referred financial and vocational assistance agencies
- Contacts with DME, orthotics or prosthetic agencies
- Educational service contacts
- Referral for psychosocial adjustment counseling
- Community support groups/Advocacy groups
For more information about services offered through WakeMed Rehab, please call 919-350-7876
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