Lancaster County has a choice for Rehabilitation Services!

It can happen in an instant or during a period of days, maybe even weeks. Something goes awry; blood flow to the brain is interrupted, a person suffers a stroke. The American Heart Association ranks stroke as the leading cause of disability in the United States. Small wonder, since more than 5 million Americans have suffered a stroke. Every number in that statistic stands for a person who strives to regain what was lost. For each of them, rehabilitation therapy means redefining normal.  

An Important Journey

Brent Burger, Director of Rehabilitation Services at Lancaster Regional, believes therapists become “part of the intimate and private moments of a patient’s everyday life.  

“People think rehabilitation is a destination, which is incorrect. It’s one segment of the road back to normalcy,” he says. Depriving the brain of oxygen rich blood, as is the case when a person suffers a stroke, can have devastating consequences. Limbs hang loose; swallowing becomes difficult if not impossible, speech is slurred beyond recognition, vital senses such as eye sight, taste, smell and touch are absent or limited, memory dims. Explains Burger: “It’s our place to help each patient recover as much function as possible, and to find comfortable ways to work around loss that’s permanent.”  

Celebrating Small Victories

Chang W. Ahn, M.D., who specializes in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation, leads Lancaster Regional’s rehabilitation team. “Our patients endure discomfort, deal with personal and career losses, and struggle to redefine every aspect of their lives,” he says, alluding to the considerable emotional aspect of teaching a person a new way of living. That’s why the care plan begins while the patient is still in the hospital. By the time a patient begins therapy, the rehabilitation team has spoken with both the clinical staff and those close to the person who is recovering. “Hospital-based therapy can last up to six weeks. That’s followed by therapy at home and outpatient sessions sometimes lasting for several months,” says Nerino. “We plan therapeutic exercise to restore as much function as possible.” The glorious moments are the small victories: watching someone stand without assistance; button a shirt; enjoy a favorite meal. Something as simple as applying deodorant — an activity we take for granted — can be a milestone for the patient, the family, and the therapists.