At St. Rita's, our pulmonary rehabilitation (rehab) services are dedicated
to improving the quality of life for patients experiencing chronic lung problems.
This is accomplished through supervised exercise and education. Our goal is
to help you return to your maximum level of function and independence. St.
Rita's Medical Center offers state-of-the-art pulmonary rehabilitation services
to the residents of West Central Ohio.
Patients with chronic lung conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, COPD,
asthma and cystic fibrosis among others, may benefit from the pulmonary rehabilitation
program at St. Rita's. Also, if you are having lung surgery, pulmonary rehabilitation
will assist you in your preparation for surgery and lead you to a more complete
recovery.
A multidisciplinary team of professionals including pulmonary physicians,
respiratory therapists, nurses and exercise physiologists, dieticians and various
other health professionals will work with you to develop rehabilitation goals
that are right for you.
Before beginning a pulmonary rehabilitation program a complete medical history
and physical evaluation is taken. The patient will undergo an exercise test
to determine the function and strength of their lungs in addition to the amount
of physical activity their body can handle.
Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs are focused on each individual patient.
St. Rita's therapists set specific goals with each patient based on what they
want to achieve. The rehab program is then customized to meet the patient's
goals.
The basis of our pulmonary rehabilitation program lies in two disciplines:
education and exercise. During educational sessions, patients will learn to
understand their lung disease, control anxiety and shortness of breath, use
medications properly and incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. Dieticians
also provide nutritional counseling to patients to encourage well-balanced
meals.
The program also includes exercises to strengthen the upper body and muscles
used for breathing. Stationary bicycling and waling on the treadmill are also
incorporated into the program to help increase endurance.
The pulmonary rehabilitation team works to maximize the patient's endurance
and strength, while teaching them methods of controlling shortness of breath.
Proper body alignment through posture is also addressed so patients can learn
to inhale as much air as possible. The team always strives to improve the quality
of life for the patient and assist them in becoming as independent as possible.
Pulmonary rehabilitation will not cure lung disease; however, it can help the
patient to live with the disease more effectively.
Phase I rehabilitation begins while the patient is still an inpatient at St.
Rita's Medical center. The pulmonary staff works closely with the patient to
constantly monitor their needs and encourage them to exercise to their level
of tolerance.
Phase II rehab takes place three times a week in Cardiopulmonary Services
at St. Rita's for approximately one hour and 30 minutes. The other days of
the week, the patient is encouraged to continue rehabilitation exercises at
home. Most patients attend a total of six to ten weeks in the Medical Center.
However, the actual number will be adjusted based on each patient's personal
needs.
Registered nurses, respiratory therapists and exercise physiologists provide
continuous monitoring for all patients while they are exercising. In the program,
patients will exercise using a treadmill, stationary exercise bicycle, strength
training and a box step in addition to upper body exercises.
Patients also have the option to continue their participation in the Phase
III/IV pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Phase III and IV Rehab can easily be practiced in the patient's home to continue
what they have learned at St. Rita's. However, patients may request to be officially
enrolled in our outpatient rehab program. Only the patient knows what works
best for them and we will work to accommodate their rehabilitation needs. To
maintain the positive results from the rehabilitation experience, the patient
will need to continue following their specific program at home or in our facilities.
Phase II rehabilitation takes place as an outpatient program on the second
floor of the Medical Center in Cardiopulmonary Services or at the Putnam County
Ambulatory Care Center under the careful care of the pulmonary staff.
Once Phase II is complete, patients can choose to continue their rehab on
their own at home or progress to Phases III and IV with the St. Rita's staff.
Upon progression to Phases III and IV, the patient will move to Outpatient
Rehabilitation at the 830 W. High Street building under the supervision of
certified therapists.
Phase II pulmonary rehabilitation is generally covered by most insurance companies,
including Medicare. At the time of the referral, Pulmonary Rehab will contact
the patient to secure their insurance information and contact the insurance
provider to determine their coverage. Following insurance approval, the patient
will be contacted to set up an evaluation for the pulmonary rehab program.
There are some limitations to the number of sessions applicable per each insurance
plan, however our staff will check with your insurance agent or company benefits
administrator for a full explanation of your coverage and to verify physician/hospital
participation with our health plan.
