• Brain injury/trauma
• Pulmonary (lung/breathing) rehabilitation
• Cardiac (heart) rehabilitation
• Stroke rehabilitation and prevention for people of all ages
• Spinal cord injury
• Speech and hearing difficulties
• Peripheral vascular diseases (Amputation)
  
• Orthopedics
• Sports injuries
• Hand therapy
• Bone health/osteoporosis
• Rheumatology (arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
• Driver training
• Returning to work
• Setting up ergonomically correct workplaces
• Wellness Center

Rehabilitation helps people who have had an accident, illness, or surgery to regain the skills they need to complete what medical professionals call activities of daily living. This can mean walking, talking, preparing food, returning to work, driving, paying bills, or a wide range of other skills that help people maintain an independent lifestyle.

At Sunnyview, our motto is, "Enriching lives through greater independence."

How does Sunnyview staff accomplish the goal of enriching lives through greater independence?

Patients admitted to Sunnyview are more disabled and require significantly more rehabilitative care than patients in other hospitals in the Capital Region of New York State. Sunnyview patients, however, achieve measurably greater progress than do patients in other settings.

The Sunnyview approach combines cutting-edge therapy techniques, along with an integrated treatment plan combining all of Sunnyview's departments. This includes occupational therapy (to regain skills for daily living), physical therapy (to work on the person's physical and medical condition), speech and hearing therapy (to assist a person in regaining speaking skills and also addressing swallowing problems), social work (to help the patient coordinate services within the community), and psychology (to assist in counseling the patient and his or her family members in coping with the disability).


How does the rehabilitation process begin?

Each patient has a unique program at Sunnyview, designed to meet his or her special needs. This begins under the direction of a physician specializing in rehabilitation medicine (also called a physiatrist), orthopedic surgery, cardiology, pulmonary medicine or rheumatology. The physician guides a team of medical specialists who, with the patient, plan and carry out the program. The team includes:

• Physiatrist: All Sunnyview physiatrists are board-certified in the specialty of physical medicine. He or she is responsible for the medical management of a patient's condition, including prescribing medicines and appropriate therapeutic and nursing interventions, as well as determining appropriate medical diagnostic tests and procedures for each individual.
  
• Rehabilitation nurse: Rehabilitation nurses are licensed by the New York State Department of Education. They assess a patient's ability to think and carry on a conversation, as well as the person's physical and medical status following an illness, accident or injury. The nurse provides support for the patient and encourages the use of therapeutic strategies while continuing to monitor the patient's condition as he or she moves through the rehabilitation process to reach independence.
  
• Physical therapist: Physical therapists evaluate mobility, balance, strength, and endurance. At Sunnyview, treatment revolves around maintaining joint flexibility, normalizing movement, walking, wheelchair management, and high level physical skill. Physical therapists can also assess whether or not a patient is capable of intensifying an exercise program that might lead to greater physical conditioning. Sunnyview's physical therapists are board-certified and have earned master's degrees in this specialty.
  
• Occupational therapist: Occupational therapists address the patient's self-care, home situation and management, functional mobility and community living skill needs. The occupational therapist provides the patient with opportunities to practice compensatory strategies within the context of "real life" activities to help the individual achieve the highest possible level of independence. Sunnyview's occupational therapists are licensed by the New York State Department of Education.
  
• Speech and language pathologist: The speech and language pathologist offers diagnostic and therapeutic interventions focused on listening/reading comprehension, verbal/written expression, reasoning/problem solving, and interpersonal skills, as well as voice and swallowing function, if necessary. These services are offered in both individual and group treatment sessions. Sunnyview's speech and language pathologists have completed rigorous training and are licensed by the New York State Department of Education.
  
• Neuropsychologist: Sunnyview's neuropsychologists/psychologists use standardized tests to determine the patient's level of thinking skills and ability to function emotionally following what may be a very traumatic time in a person's life for both the patient and his or her family members. The neuropsychologist consults with a patient's clinical team to establish behavioral goals for the patient and also offers support to family members. All neuropsychologists at Sunnyview have doctoral degrees in their respective fields, and are licensed by the New York State Department of Education.
  
• Social worker: The social worker acts as the family advocate, assisting family members in adjusting to changes in the family structure that may result from a patient's illness, injury or surgery. The social worker also helps the patient cope with the changes that may be experienced as a result of the illness, injury or surgery, and may also assist in determining what community-based services a patient may need after leaving Sunnyview. All Social workers at Sunnyview have master's degrees in social work and are licensed by the New York State Department of Health.
  
• Recreational therapist: Sunnyview's recreational therapists provide assistance to patients who wish to pursue leisure activities. Sunnyview offers group and individual sessions for patients with the goal of helping to encourage and motivate patients to participate in enjoyable and constructive activities both while they are inpatients and when they return home. Sunnyview's recreational therapists are licensed by the New York State Department of Education and participate in extensive continuing education sessions.
  
• Special educator: The special educator works with the rehabilitation team to assess the patient's academic strengths and needs. With the assistance of other team members, the special educator will identify and implement academic strategies designed to help the patient/student to maximize learning potential when they return to school following completion of their rehabilitation program.
  

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