Rehabilitation
The mission of the rehabilitation staff at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo (HCK) is to provide MI assisted living to people in regaining their highest level of functioning and to enable them to return to the least restrictive living situation. Our goal is to return people to their home.
HCK does not use a large rehabilitation company for our therapy services. Our Therapists are our employees who provide quality interdisciplinary care and are focused on each individual’s needs by getting to know each person’s life story and needs. The rehab staff possesses over 85 years of combined clinical experience and work together to tap that knowledge. Our Director of Rehabilitation Services has a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy and has experience working with several different populations. This knowledge keeps our Rehabilitation Department on the leading edge of new treatments and modalities.
Our Focus:
Occupational Therapy
The Occupational Therapists work with individuals who, after illness or injury, are having difficulty with basic skills such as feeding, bathing, and dressing: and/or with higher level skills such as washing dishes, cooking, and making their bed. Once it is determined why the individual is having difficulty, the therapists will work with the individual to increase arm strength and/or movement, balance, coordination, endurance, safety, etc. The main goal is always to return that individual to the life they used to live.
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapists at HCK work to promote health and prevent injury and disability. Our experts evaluate and treat those who are disabled by pain, disease, or injury. Treatment is physical in nature; requiring at times heat, cold, massage, exercise, balance activities, and ambulation training. The overall goal is to decrease pain and increase strength and function so that the resident may return to their previous level of ability.
Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy is provided to work with individuals who have new problems with swallowing and communicating. Communication includes difficulties with talking, hearing, and understanding.
To improve swallowing problems, the Speech Language Pathologist has the individual complete an exercise program to strengthen the muscles responsible for chewing and swallowing and will teach the individual and their caregivers ways to improve their swallowing safety.
To improve communication problems, structured activities can be used to increase mental capabilities (i.e. problem solving skills, attention skills), exercises completed to increase voice strength, and alternative means of communication can be taught (i.e. communication picture board).
Outpatient Therapy
Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy are available on an outpatient basis to all residents in our community. Our therapists travel to all of our facilities for treatment. If the resident is living on-campus, they may be assisted to our rehabilitation room for their treatment.
HCK also offers a Wellness Program to all of its residents. For a minimal charge, a rehabilitation aide will work with individuals on an exercise program that has been developed by a therapist. The goal of this program is to promote health and prevent injury by maintaining strength and activity.
Person-Centered
We continuously strive to place each individual in the center of the care process. Routines, schedules, and tasks become secondary to the needs, desires and pace of all MI Assisted Living residents in our care and residential settings.