Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program

Information

A brain injury affects not only the patient's life, but the lives of the people who love and support that person. You are not alone. We are here to help.

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in the Philadelphia suburbs was one of the first rehabilitation institutions in the country to begin treating brain injuries and illnesses and has remained a leader for the last 20 years.

The program is fully accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC) and by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Our treatment focuses on helping patients relearn the physical, cognitive, and behavioral skills necessary to resume as independent a life as possible. Approximately half of the brain injury survivors treated at Bryn Mawr Rehab hospital have a traumatic brain injury--most frequently from a motor vehicle or other type of accident. The other fifty percent have brain injuries from a variety of illnesses such as encephalitis, aneurysms and hemorrhages in the brain, and tumors.

The Scope of Our Services

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital has developed a full continuum of care for people who have experienced a brain injury. This system includes acute inpatient services, outpatient services, Day Treatment, community re-entry services and Family Support Groups. This comprehensive system ensures that all individuals can receive the most appropriate program of care based on their injury and on their personal needs.

Treatment can begin anywhere in the continuum - in intensive inpatient care, on an outpatient basis, or in our community re-entry services. Our continuum of care also includes an award-winning injury prevention program for teenagers and young adults called the Cruisin' Not Boozin' Program.

Patient Profile

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Our brain injury patients typically range in age from 16 to 86 and our average inpatient stay is 23 days. They come from all over the Philadelphia area as well as from across the nation. When admitted, most patients are able to complete less than half of daily-living tasks themselves, such as dressing, walking, and transferring in and out of bed. The amount of help needed can vary widely. By discharge, many patients need only minimal physical assistance or supervision to complete the tasks involved in daily life. The vast majority of our inpatients go on to our intensive Day Treatment Program, outpatient therapy or home-based therapy to continue their rehabilitation.

How Our Patients Rate Us

Many things contribute to the overall rehab experience. Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is surrounded by acres of open space and beautifully landscaped paths often used for therapy. We have not only the most attractive environment in the region to facilitate recovery, but also state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment, top-notch therapists, and dedicated, caring staff. In a recent study, 92 percent of patients surveyed rated our overall care as good or excellent and 93 percent said they would definitely recommend Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital to others needing care.

The Right Rehabilitation Professionals

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital The structure of a patient's rehabilitation program depends upon the intensity of care he or she requires. We emphasize a team approach to accomplish established goals. All treatment is provided by a staff of clinicians who are specifically trained in assisting people with brain injury. The Brain Injury Program's Director for 21 years has been David Long, MD, a behavioral neurologist--a specialist in the management of patients with cognitive or behavioral difficulties following a brain injury.

Dr. Long is joined by an individualized team that includes a rehabilitation physician, internal medicine physician, rehabilitation nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist, case manager, psychologist, recreational therapist, and, as needed, a cognitive remediation specialist and a registered dietitian. They, in turn, often call upon the expertise of consulting physicians from many specialties, including neurosurgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and psychiatry. The case manager serves as your family's liaison to a wide array of community resources, including legal services and vocational rehabilitation. As requested, the patient's personal physician will be advised of his or her patient's progress.

Inpatient Treatment

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital All of our inpatients receive care 24 hours a day from physicians and nurses specially trained in rehabilitation. In addition, our patients receive therapy seven days per week. Additional services such as speech therapy, psychology, cognitive retraining, recreational therapy are provided based on our assessment of each patient's individual needs. Priority is placed on providing the lowest level of restraint and the highest level of freedom of motion consistent with safe care.

This intensive level of care is family-focused and includes conferences with the treatment team and ongoing participation in care giving. Family members are encouraged to participate in daily therapy sessions and to attend weekly physician/case manager rounds on the unit to hear discussions about their family member's progress. A family conference is scheduled by your case manager as needed. For those traveling long distances, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in the Philadelphia suburbs offers on-site family accommodations by reservation during your loved one's stay to facilitate family education and training. Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital participates in activities supporting the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, which maintains a national database from thousands of brain injury cases to determine the most effective treatment standards.

State-of-the-Art Equipment

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital's Brain Injury Program is equipped with specialized safety equipment designed to reduce risks of injury during recovery of agitated and confused patients, including an electronic Wanderguard Locating System and net enclosures around beds. We retrain patients to walk using a harness system that safely suspends them above a treadmill. At first, the harness supports about 40 percent of the patient's weight and the treadmill is set on a low speed while therapists help move legs and torso through walking motions. Gradually, the patient bears more weight and needs less assistance. Most patients eventually are able to walk in hallways using a portable harness system with wheels. Similarly, the Balance Master and Smart Balance Master are harness systems with computerized platforms designed to assist therapists in assessing and treating balance and mobility impairments.

Emerging Awareness Brain Injury Program

Our experienced staff is especially adept at working with patients in the earliest stages of recovery when consciousness is first emerging as patients move toward greater awareness of their surroundings. As a member of the Consciousness Consortium, which now includes eight rehabilitation institutions throughout the United States and Germany, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, located outside of Philadelphia, has undertaken clinical studies to measure responses of patients with severe traumatic brain injuries to a wide array of treatments.

Outpatient Rehabilitation

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Our continuum of care provides outpatient services for those who live at home while continuing in a rehabilitation program. Outpatient care in the Brain Injury Program includes physical, occupational, and speech therapies and Day Treatment, psychology, neuropsychology, and behavior management services. Bryn Mawr Rehab Outpatient Network provides ongoing physical, occupational and speech therapy at seven convenient locations throughout the western Philadelphia suburbs.

Community Re-entry Services

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital These services are designed to help individuals regain independence and to return to school, home, community or the workplace. Participation can be full or half day. Therapy in the Comprehensive Outpatient Neurorehabilitation Center (which includes a special group for adolescents) focuses on daily living skills, mobility and cognitive abilities. Vocational rehabilitation is an important component of the program. Appropriate referrals are made for needed vocational services.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Outpatient Program

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Often referred to as an "unseen injury," mild traumatic brain injury (also known as post concussion syndrome) can change the personality, disrupt the senses and interfere with cognitive abilities, even when initial symptoms like dizziness, headache and nausea disappear quickly. Ongoing symptoms may include memory and learning problems, unexplained mood swings, impaired planning or organizational skills and depression. We provide evaluations and tailored treatment programs.

Other Specialized Outpatient Services

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital We offer many specialized services that can enhance a program of care or can be requested individually. These include:

Comprehensive Outpatient Neurorehabilitation Center
Adapted Driving Program with evaluations, recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in their use
Assistive Technology Program for specialized wheelchairs and electronic speech devices, and modifications at home and work
Aquatic therapy in our heated indoor pool
Laboratory and digital radiological services
Neuropsychological evaluations
Pain management
RehabWorks Program for work-related injuries
Vestibular (balance) therapy using a computer diagnostic system with a tilting platform
Bryn Mawr Rehab Outpatient Network, providing physical, occupational and speech therapy services for patients of all ages at seven convenient locations in the Philadelphia region

Education and Support Groups

At Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, we believe that education and support for families are a vital component of treatment. Our library provides books, articles and videotapes about brain injury. The hospital's support groups offer information, emotional support and social contact both for the person who has experienced a brain injury and for family and friends, meeting concurrently. (Call 484-596-5430 for more information about support groups.)

The Referral Process

A referral to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital can be made by a physician, an insurance case manager, a social worker from an acute-care hospital, or a family member. Our clinical liaisons are available on-site at many acute care hospitals in the Philadelphia area to review and evaluate medical records and to speak to families whose loved ones could benefit from our specialized services. Family members are strongly encouraged to visit our campus and to tour our Brain Injury Unit and therapy facilities when making a decision about rehabilitation care.