Renee Hincapie, physical therapist, MossRehab Collegeville wears a mask to ensure patient safety when performing different physical therapy treatments.
If you are injured or suffer from a stroke or other neurological disorder, physical therapy is an essential part of the rehabilitation process. In fact, starting physical therapy (PT) shortly after an event often accelerates the recovery process, lessens healthcare costs, and shortens the duration of care. However, you might be nervous about getting care due to the coronavirus. In fact, nearly half of Americans have delayed or postponed medical care due to the coronavirus.
“As most recovery happens immediately after an event, therapies should not be delayed for acute conditions,” explains Nancy Beecher, MS, PT, clinical manager and physical therapist, MossRehab Collegeville. “Victims of stroke, for instance, get the most recovery in the first three months. It is ideal to have therapy to facilitate maximizing recovery within the time frame when most recovery is expected.”
To assure patient safety when receiving therapy services, MossRehab outpatient centers have implemented new clinical protocols to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19. Our network of more than 15 outpatient locations never closed during the pandemic to ensure patients get immediate and ongoing care needed for optimum results.
“While we have always used health care contact precautions, the network has gone to greater lengths to minimize risk through many new COVID measures,” notes John Morris, PT, clinical manager and physical therapist, MossRehab Lansdale.
Increased Facility Safety Protocols
Starting right from scheduling the first appointment, patients are screened about their travel, health, and possible exposure to the virus. Appointments are staggered to avoid overcrowding in waiting areas and therapy rooms.
Plexiglass separates the registration desk from patients at check-in and temperatures checked before therapy sessions. Patients also must wash their hands before entering and leaving the facility. No visitors can accompany patients into the facility unless essential to care.
“MossRehab has always taken hand washing very seriously. We continue to wash hands or use hand sanitizer between each patient encounter,” says Morris. “In addition, all equipment, door handles, and common areas such as bathrooms are consistently wiped down during the day.”
All patients must wear masks while in the facility while all staff dons a mask with eye protection at all times. Staff also maintains social distancing between themselves while in the clinic. Chairs and treatment mats used during physical therapy are spread 6 feet apart while some equipment is repositioned to improve the ability to social distance. Curtains and privacy screens also are used to create a barrier in more open patient care areas.
“At MossRehab, therapists see a maximum of two patients each hour to minimize the number of people in the clinic at one time,” states Morris. “This reduces the number of people in the clinic at one time.”
Even as the cases of COVID increase across the country, MossRehab outpatient care centers will remain open and vigilant in following COVID protocols to protect patients and staff against the virus.
For Coronavirus Resources regarding COVID testing, symptom comparison, activity risk, and more, click here.
To find a MossRehab outpatient location near you, click here.