Rehabilitation Services

Therapy where your patient needs it…in the home

With 80-plus rehabilitation professionals, VNS Westchester has the largest team of skilled and licensed home healthcare therapists available locally. Our therapists specialize in specific treatment approaches and have expertise in diagnosing patients who require rehabilitative care to address: post-operative weakness, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, joint replacement and other orthopedic impairment, swallowing disorders, and other physical challenges.

Our physical and occupational therapists also care for patients suffering from fractures, knee and hip injuries, degenerative joint diseases, back pain, stenosis, and problems with pain involving knees, hips, spine, feet, ankles, legs, shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists. 

Our goal is to help patients achieve optimal health and independence through the following skilled rehabilitative services:

Physical Therapy

Our physical therapists assess their patients’ level of mobility by evaluating their gait, range of motion, strength and balance. They examine the patient’s physical environment to determine ease of access in moving around the home, and work with patients to help them successfully navigate indoors and, eventually, outside. Safety is of paramount concern, so we make sure patients are equipped with the right personal and home devices to ensure stability, and we teach patients and caregivers how to avoid falls and accidents. 

Occupational Therapy

During recovery from surgery or illness, even small tasks can be daunting for patients. Our occupational therapists train individuals to independently perform everyday activities, such as grooming, bathing and homemaking. We help patients to strengthen their fine motor skills and teach them to use adaptive equipment to do as much on their own as possible.

Speech Pathology

Our speech/language pathologists assess a patient’s ability to communicate, which may involve not only speaking clearly, but also recalling names or organizing thoughts. Our expertise in fostering functional communication enables patients to improve their use of words, memory and communication processing. We also work with patients on speech production, articulation, voice problems and facial weakness, as well as swallowing disorders (dysphagia).

Program objectives:

• Maximize functional independence
• Establish a progressive and restorative home therapy program
• Maximize range of motion
• Develop and improve muscle strength
• Improve pain management
• Ensure a safer home environment
• Maximize patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living
• Prevent post-operative complications in the home

Services:

• Pre-surgical evaluation for home readiness and safety, equipment needs and pre-operative strengthening exercises
• Physical therapy evaluation and treatment in the patient’s home within 24 hours of hospital discharge (including weekends)
• Individualized comprehensive treatment plans
• Patient/caregiver education based on current best practices
• Frequent communication with the physician and other disciplines
• Support system to assist the patient/family with transition to community living
• Skilled nursing assessment of surgical wound and intervention when indicated
• Pain management by nurse specialist; and management of anti-coagulation therapy
• Home health aide to assist with personal care
• Occupational therapy evaluation and treatment
• Assistance by medical social workers to access community resources

For more information on our Rehabilitation Services, call 914-682-1480.