|
Halloween at the Institute
Thank you to Hickman Mills Church of Christ for throwing a great Halloween Party for our clients, patients and staff on October 27. The cookies and sweets were a fun kick-off to the Halloween Celebration!
__________________________
Ameristar Cares hosted Halloween at our Satellite Workshop on October 28. They decorated pumpkins, enjoyed ghostly cookies and had a costume contest. What an exciting day it was! Thank you to the Ameristar Team Members for throwing us another fabulous party.
|
|
Upcoming Educational Events featuring speakers from
the Rehabilitation Institute
Remaining Safely Independent (Financial Safety and Independence and Driving Safety and Independence as a Person Ages)
Tuesday, November 15
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Matt Ross Community Center
8101 Marty
Overland Park, KS
Speaker:
Annette Maggard Lewer
_________________________
Bridging the Gap: Choice, Dignity and Independence for the Disabled
Thursday, November 17
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
(CEU's available)
VFW National Headquarters
406 West 34th Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
Speaker:
Dr. Terrie Price
|
|
Building Brighter Futures for Children and Adults with Disabilities.
Medical Rehabilitation Employment Services Sheltered Workshops
Main Location
3011 Baltimore Ave
Kansas City, MO 64108
St. Joseph Employment Office
210 N. 7th Street
St. Joseph, MO 64501
Warrensburg Employment Office
1034 S. Maguire, Ste C
Warrensburg, MO 64093
|
|
|
|
 Call Congress today to extend outpatient therapy for those
who need it most!
Unless action is taken, Medicare recipients at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City will be limited to approximately 14 hours of Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy combined and 14 hours of Occupational Therapy. This means that an individual with a Traumatic Brain Injury in our Day Treatment Program would need to be able to relearn how to eat, talk, and walk in less than a week.
This December, Congress will vote whether to extend an exception process to Medicare spending limits (caps) that, if extended, would provide therapy to those who need it most. If Congress does not act in favor of this exception process, individuals who have experienced catastrophic injury or illness will be unable to receive proper outpatient therapy care. We are asking you to call or write your Members of Congress today to make sure they vote to extend this exception process.
Find your representatives here.
For sample wording, click here. |
Adapting to Disability
 | |
Sam learning to walk with crutches during physical therapy.
|
Like so many of the individuals that come to The Rehabilitation Institute, Sam Porritt's disability could happen to anyone. He is why we do what we do. We help individuals get back to living life, even if it is a little different than it was before. On the second day of Sam's vacation in Italy with his wife, he was taking photos on the grounds of the home they were staying in when he misjudged a step in front of him, lost his balance and fell off a fifteen foot retaining wall into the garden below. He quickly realized he had sustained a back injury that left him with no feeling in his lower body. Within hours he was in surgery at an Italian hospital to repair the fractured vertebrae and remove the bone fragments from his spinal cord. After more than two weeks and receiving just enough therapy to transfer himself from a wheelchair to a chair, he was able to fly home.
With a couple of weeks of inpatient rehabilitation under his belt at a local hospital, Sam was ready to transition to The Rehabilitation Institute. He is currently here from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week receiving occupational and physical therapy for his spinal cord injury. Sam had already regained feeling in his legs and feet when he arrived, but still had significant mobility barriers. "Therapy is my full-time job right now. I have at least a year of recovery ahead of me and will be in therapy most of that time," explains Sam. His focus during physical therapy is to increase his strength in his lower body which will, in turn, improve his walking. His goal in occupational therapy is to be able to get back to what he loves, cooking and grocery shopping for his family. This time around he has to learn to maneuver the kitchen with some extra help from a walker or crutches. He has already spent a few sessions in the kitchen working on his skills. With each day of therapy Sam feels his strength and mobility improving, but has quickly learned that he has to adapt to accomplish everyday tasks. Thankfully, he has great therapists by his side as he figures out these adjustments to his life. As he was getting up he laughed and said, "Here is another trick I learned," and pushed his rolling chair against the wall so it would not get away from him as he used his arms to push himself up to a standing position. Sam has a great attitude and in spite of his injury he feels very lucky to be where he is today.
|
|
Issue 3: School Transition & Summer Therapy Camp
 
|
|
We are proudly supported by
|
|
|
