Rehab unit expands in Arlington Heights

The NCH Acute Rehabilitation Care Unit in Arlington Heights expanded from 17 to 33 private patient rooms and has an additional state-of-the art therapy gym and dining area.

The Rehabilitation Care Unit team helps ease the transition home for patients following an inpatient hospital stay who still require close medical oversight and would benefit from goal-oriented, personalized therapy. Research shows after an inpatient rehabilitation stay, patients are more likely to return home sooner, achieve higher levels of independence and are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital.

At the NCH Rehabilitation Care Unit, patients receive close medical oversight with 24/7 attention by nurses and doctors specializing in rehab; individualized, goal-directed therapy and education for patient and family success at home; ongoing collaboration by a treatment team (physicians, nurses, therapists and a social worker) to address each patient's unique barriers to returning home; and on-site availability of NCH award-winning doctors, specialists and medical services.

“Besides patients reporting high satisfaction when compared to similarly sized units, patients are discharged with higher functional gains (closer to returning back to normal); they're safer, with fewer falls and infections; and they benefit from lower unplanned returns to acute care,” said Natalie Geyer, NCH Acute Rehab Unit program director.

Specialized attention from doctors, nurses and therapists in the unit ensures patients make good progress toward recovery. From getting out of bed to walking, cooking, dressing and eating, patients engage in a variety of activities to regain their independence and return home.

The unit, which combines a homelike atmosphere with state-of-the-art rehab services, first opened in 2015. In 2017, it ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 7 in the nation by Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services.