The Road To Recovery Begins with Winter Haven Hospital Rehabilitation Services
Rehabilitation is the key to successful recovery after a Stroke. Winter Haven Hospital Rehabilitation Services offer a full range of rehabilitation programs to help you on your “Road to Recovery,” for stroke as well as other neurological or orthopedic conditions.
Providing comprehensive rehabilitation programs are what we do best! We have the only accredited acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center) in Polk County. This program focuses on Strokes, Orthopedic Injuries/Surgeries, Spinal Cord Dysfunctions, Brain Injuries, and other conditions. For October 2004 through September 2005, our data reflects our commitment to serve our community. We served 395 persons with comprehensive rehabilitation needs. Our most frequently served individuals were those with the diagnoses of Stroke (144 persons), Orthopedic Disorders (98 persons), Spinal Cord Dysfunctions (35 persons), and Brain Injuries (30 persons). The individuels we served with a Stroke diagnosis stayed an average of 16 days, and 84% of them were discharged to their community and typically home.
The Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center works with each individual to meet or exceed his or her specific needs and goals. In fact, for 2004-2005, ninety-six percent of our patients rated their satisfaction with our services as very good to excellent. We are able to meet or exceed their expectations, by providing intensive therapy, rehabilitation nursing, and services provided by rehabilitation physicians seven days a week. The Medical Director of the Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Ada Lopez-Mendez, stated, “Our programs not only focus on the physical impairments of our patients, but on the patient as a whole with emphasis on family involvement and transition to outpatient rehabilitation services.”
One such patient is Mr. G. Wood, age 77, who suffered a stroke on 12/19/05. He transcended through all of Winter Haven Hospital Rehabilitation Services from the acute care therapies to the Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center and is currently receiving care at our ESTEEM neurological rehabilitation program. Mr. and Mrs. Wood stated, “This experience was perfect. We really learned a lot and all of the staff at these programs cared for both of us. These programs put real life situations into practice. They would teach my wife how to get me up and off of the floor, in case I fell.” Therapy practices such as these teach patient’s and family member’s about current and future rehabilitation concerns. “A stroke can be a devastating event and make you feel like your life has ended, but through rehab they help you recover from the stroke. Everyone truly cared for me and treated me like a friend. The people make the difference. The home evaluation really prepared me and my wife to go home. They made sure it was a safe place, and that I could get around in my own environment. The Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center and the ESTEEM program are the best, it couldn’t have been any better.”
A stroke is a life altering event with devastating effects that may be reduced if the symptoms are identified early and treated quickly. Strokes are the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability. Time is of the utmost importance, as is seeking medical help when the symptoms are first noted. Don’t wait. Time = Brain! Winter Haven Hospital is the only hospital in Polk County that is designated as a Stroke Center of Excellence. Our rapid response to diagnose and treat stroke and our continuum of care set us apart from other hospitals. Medical management and rehabilitation services go hand in hand for achieving this special recognition. Signs and symptoms of a Stroke include:
- Slurred or Difficult Speech
- Numbness or Weakness of One or Both Sides of the Body
- Facial Droop
If you notice these signs or symptoms, call 911, as time is brain!
“It is extremely important that symptoms of a stroke are recognized early to maximize the patient’s treatment options,” Dr. Lopez- Mendez remarked.
Other programs offered through the rehabilitation continuum of services are:
Outpatient Wound Care Services: At Winter Haven Hospital
Outpatient Orthopedic Rehabilitation Program: At Winter Haven Hospital’s Gill Jones Center
Outpatient Neurological (ESTEEM) Rehabilitation Program: At Winter Haven Hospital Gill Jones Center.