Transitional Rehabilitation Services

Our Program

Memorial Transitional Rehabilitation Services is dually licensed by the State Department of Social Services as a Community Integrative Program. We are dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles and Orange Counties as a leader in community re-entry rehabilitation services. Our goals are to enable individuals with neurological impairments to regain the highest possible level of independence and self-esteem and to maximize their social, educational and vocational potential. We promote the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle and the reintegration of the patient into the family unit, the community, school, work and recreational activities.

Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program

One of the biggest challenges facing patients and their families after a brain injury is applying the skills and strategies they learn in traditional outpatient and hospital-based rehabilitation programs to a real-world setting. After an injury patients and their families are often unprepared for the challenges that await them when they return to their home, community and work settings. They frequently report that the skills they learned in traditional acute rehabilitation programs did not help them to function better or achieve their goals outside of therapy. Our programs are designed to help patients make this next step in their recovery. We achieve this by: 1. Emphasizing training in real-world settings. We go to the patient's home, work and community settings to help them reach their goals. By doing this, patients and team members are able to design techniques that are unique to each patient's situation. Patients and their families then practice these techniques with team members until they become familiar. 2. Empowering patients and their families. Patients and their families are actively involved in all aspects of treatment. Carry-over and learning is enhanced when patients and their families are setting and achieving goals that are meaningful to them.

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program

Going home from the hospital after a spinal cord injury is often overwhelming for patients and their families as they try to deal with the day-to-day practical challenges of living in an environment not adapted to their physical limitations. Recognizing the need for a continuum of care, The Spinal Cord Day Treatment Program was established April 2000 to facilitate patients' successful reintegration to the home, work, or community.

Under the direction of Ann Vasile, M.D., a physiatrist who is board certified in Spinal Cord Injury, an experienced group of rehabilitation professionals comprise the therapy team. An experienced rehabilitation nurse works closely with each patient on issues of bowel/ bladder care, sexuality, and medical issues. The neuropsychologist works with the patients on issues of adjustment to disability and psychological support. The goals of therapy are established by the patient and team and are directed toward increasing or improving mobility and maximizing independence in the home, work, or the community. Other goals all participants work on are the development of increasing self-confidence, self-reliance, and adjustment to disability. Possessing these qualities is crucial to successful re-integration to the community. A mentor with a similar level of injury who is functioning in the able bodied world is selected for most patients to encourage and assist their adaptation. For patients not ready to go home, there is a residential program available.

After leaving our program patients and their families report that they have learned skills and techniques that can be used daily in their home, work and community settings.

Who can benefit from our program?

Our program was designed to help patients with a variety of neurologic injuries, including spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral vascular accident, anoxia, and brain tumor. Programs are tailored to meet the needs of patients who have sustained severe brain injuries, as well as those with mild brain injuries. Adults and adolescents (ages 18 to 59 years old) who are medically stable with behaviors that can be managed in an non-institutionalized environment are appropriate for our program. Admission is based on a case-by-case assessment of each patient's individual needs and specific goals.

What areas are addressed during therapy?

Our program focuses on an integrated treatment delivery system, with specialized assistance and training in the areas of:

• Physical restoration
• Cognitive function
• Communication
• Social interaction
• Family training
• Independent living
• Self-care (Bowel/Bladder Training included)
• Home management
• Academic skills
• Vocational skills

How does the Day Treatment Program work?

The Day Treatment Program is designed to assist patients achieve their goals and increase their independence. Treatment services are provided Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Emphasis is placed on providing patients with the necessary daily structure they need to achieve their personal goals. Physical, cognitive, emotional, social and behavioral changes after a brain injury are addressed in a variety of settings, including the patient's home, community and work environments. Family members and caregivers are actively involved in training activities, learning the skills they need to help patients practice newly learned skills and strategies.

How are patients admitted to our program?

A physician, hospital, social worker, family member, or insurance company can refer a patient to our program. Once a referral is made, our clinical manager will perform an assessment with the patient and his/her family and will consult with team members and physicians to recommend a program and services that will best meet each patient's needs. We will verify insurance benefits and obtain required authorizations and prescriptions. Once eligibility is confirmed, admission arrangements are made.

Rehabilitation Team

Our program incorporates an interdisciplinary treatment approach. Each patient is assigned an experienced rehabilitation team comprised of a physiatrist, physical, speech and occupational therapist, neuropsychologist, rehabilitation nurse, internal case manager and trained rehabilitation technicians. Under the direction of the patient's physiatrist, team members develop an individualized care plan that is monitored on a weekly basis. Spanish speaking team members are available.

Physiatrist
A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in rehabilitation medicine. The physiatrist manages all aspects of the patient's medical care. The physiatrist prescribes necessary rehabilitation services and guides the rehabilitation team in determining appropriate rehabilitation goals. The physiatrist incorporates information from other treating physicians into the each patient's overall treatment plan.

Neuropsychologist
The neuropsychologist specializes in evaluating and treating the cognitive, perceptual and emotional effects of a brain injury. The neuropsychologist works closely with patients and their families, during group and individual sessions to assist them in adjusting and coping with the changes brought about by a brain injury. The neuropsychologist guides rehabilitation team members in developing and adjusting each patient's treatment plan to meet their specific needs.

Internal Case Manager
The case manager acts as a liaison between physicians, patients, family, rehabilitation team members and the insurance representative to plan, assess, coordinate and evaluate each patient's needs. Family members and the case manager remain in close contact throughout the patient's course of treatment. The case manager addresses questions and concerns regarding the overall course of treatment.

Speech Language Pathologist
The speech-language pathologist, also referred to as the speech/cognitive therapist, evaluates and treats impairments in communication, cognition, language and swallowing. After a brain injury, patients may have difficulty understanding what is said and/or speaking clearly and meaningfully. They may also have difficulty remembering important information, concentrating on daily tasks and thinking/reasoning clearly. The speech therapist works with patients and their families to develop specific skills and strategies to address these difficulties.

Physical Therapist
The physical therapist evaluates and treats impairments in a patient's ability to perform functional activities such as rolling, sitting, transferring, walking and/or using a wheelchair. The physical therapist evaluates the patient's motor and neurological status, including muscle tightness, weakness, muscle tone changes, joint mobility, active movement, balance, coordination, sensation and endurance. In addition, the physical therapist will evaluate the patient's safety and topographical orientation (navigation skills) in the community and address problems in these areas.

Occupational Therapist
The occupational therapist evaluates and treats each patient's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). The occupational therapist assesses upper extremity sensory/motor function and visual function and identifies home, work and leisure modifications and assistive technology specific to each patient's needs. The occupational therapist works closely with patients and their families in developing an appropriate and safe transition back to the patient's home, work and/or leisure activities.

Rehabilitation Technician
Rehabilitation technicians work closely with patients, under the supervision of licensed therapists, to implement each patient's treatment plan. Rehabilitation technicians receive specialized training in assisting patients with a variety of functional tasks such as home management and community errands. The rehabilitation technician relays important information to licensed therapists to further assist in tailoring each patient's treatment plan to meet their specific needs.

Rehabilitation Nurse
The rehabilitation nurse works closely with the patient on issues of bowel and bladder training, independence in managing their medication and medical appointments, and providing continued education regarding their specific diagnosis and sexuality.

Our Location

We are located in Long Beach, California. Our facility is conveniently located near a variety of community resources, with easy access to local hospitals, emergency services, shopping, museums, parks, libraries, and the beach.

2085 East Third Street
(562) 438-9781

Resources

To further assist people with brain injuries and their families we have developed a list of helpful support groups and community resources in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Educational web sites are also provided. Items on this list are not the only resources available, but rather local resources that our patients have found helpful. For information outside of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, please check your local directory.

• Education/Support Groups
• Resource Centers (For information and referrals)
• Transportation Services
• Specialized Colleges
• Speech and Language Classes
• Physical Exercise Classes
• Day Activity Programs
• Financial Resources

Free Brain Injury Education Manual

To help people with brain injuries and their families better understand the effects of brain injury our team has developed a Brain Injury Family Education Manual. This manual contains information regarding the causes and effects of a traumatic brain injury, descriptions of typical therapies, commonly asked questions regarding recovery from a traumatic brain injury, and helpful suggestions for family members when interacting with a brain injured person. This manual is available free-of-charge. Both English and Spanish versions are available.

Contact Us

Memorial Transitional Rehabilitation Services
2085 East Third Street
Long Beach, California 90814
(562) 438-9781
Fax: (562) 434-2640
MTRS@memorialcare.org