IN Fox Chapel Area Winter 2013 | Page 68

Inpatient Rehabilitation:
One Step at a Time
After months of illness, hospitalization, and extensive chemotherapy treatments for lymphoma, Mary Reese could barely move.
She relied on nurses and aides to care for her daily needs.
Terrified of falling, she agreed to start an inpatient rehabilitation
program at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute at UPMC St. Margaret.
Her goal: to regain strength and function so she could return home
to her teenage daughter.
“I wanted my life back,” says Mary, 60, the mother of five. “I’ve
made great progress thanks to the therapy I received at UPMC
St. Margaret.”

Specialized treatment plans
Leonard Cabacungan, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation
specialist at UPMC St. Margaret, says the UPMC Rehabilitation
Institute provides individualized treatment plans focused on
restoring strength, function, and independence so patients can
return home. The 26-bed facility at UPMC St. Margaret — one of
the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s seven locations — features
private rooms and a wide variety of specialized therapy programs.
“It’s crucial to get patients up and moving as quickly as possible,”
says Dr. Cabacungan. “The longer they stay in bed, the weaker
they get. Once they are medically stable, we do what needs to be
done so they can successfully function at home.”
Our multidisciplinary team works together to develop individual
treatment plans for patients recovering from a variety of conditions
caused by illness and injury. They include strokes, hip fractures,
joint replacements, neurological disorders, cancer, and congestive
heart failure. Physical therapists focus on mobility and strength,
while occupational therapists work on everyday tasks, and speech
therapists work on communication and swallowing.

Hard work pays off
When Mary first began therapy, she couldn’t sit up in bed or get
out of a chair without help. It took two people to get her up on her
feet. “After being bedridden for so long, my muscles were gone,”
says the Zelienople resident.
For four hours a day, seven days a week, Mary’s treatment included
exercises to improve strength, restore movement, and improve
her daily self-care. Within days, she was able to bathe herself and
go to the bathroom with help. She soon began going up and down
steps and getting in and out of a car.

Consistently recognized for providing advanced rehabilitation for conditions that
include stroke, brain, and spinal cord injury, the experts at the UPMC Rehabilitation
Institute combine extensive clinical experience with advanced technology and
research to offer patients cutting-edge treatments.

“I’m getting stronger every day. I’m able to walk and stand for
long periods of time. I’m even doing laundry,” Mary says. “Most
importantly, I can now dress and clean myself.”
Mary says she’s been motivated by the “can do” attitude of
the doctors and staff at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute at
UPMC St. Margaret. She also has been inspired by the progress
made by other patients.
“It hasn’t been easy. They make you work hard,” she adds. “But,
I’m so grateful for the therapy I received at UPMC St. Margaret.
This place has done wonders for me.”
For more information about the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute
at UPMC St. Margaret, visit UPMC.com/RehabInstitute, or call
1-877-AT-REHAB (28-73422).

This advertorial has been provided by UPMC. © 2013 UPMC