Programs and Services

Spinal Cord Injury

Rehabilitation

Goal Oriented Treatment Approach

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Kernan's Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program provides clinical evaluation, medical care and therapeutic activities tailored to each patient's individual goals, needs and abilities. Comprehensive rehabilitation services are provided to help patients recover daily living skills, achieve community re-entry, and address any problems in areas such as:

Range of motion, strength, coordination and endurance
Self care skills
Training and use of standard and/or power wheelchairs
Bowel and bladder management
Pre-vocational skills
Leisure skills

Patients receive physical, occupational, speech/language and recreational therapy six days a week to help them reach their rehabilitation goals. The Spinal Cord Injury Program places a strong emphasis on patient/caregiver education, offering a comprehensive program that addresses topics such as:

Coping with spinal cord injury
Sexuality
Attendant/caregiver issues
Skin/Nutrition
Parenting and child care issues
Travel issues with mobility and home accessibility
Bowel and bladder management
Health and wellness

Patients admitted to the inpatient portion of the Spinal Cord Injury Program must be able to actively participate in three or more hours of daily therapy. The length of stay for spinal cord injury patients varies between approximately two to eight weeks, depending on individual need. Over eighty percent of our patients return home after discharge.

Day hospital patients attend between two to three hours of therapy per day, but return home each evening. Patients and their families are encouraged to attend the monthly evening spinal cord injury support group meetings. Those meetings are open to both current inpatients and individuals with spinal cord injuries living in the community.