COVID-19 Inpatient Rehab Story

Inpatient rehabilitation is the process of acclimating patients who have already gone through acute care back to their daily lives again. This means that Norman Regional’s inpatient rehab staff are working with patients who have gone through a wide variety of conditions including serious injuries and disabling illnesses, which over the past year have included patients suffering from post-COVID-19 Syndrome. Post COVID-19 Syndrome occurs when individuals who have begun testing negative for COVID-19 continue to exhibit serious symptoms of the virus.

Helping Patients Regain Abilities

It takes a certain type of person to take on the kind of work that goes into helping someone recover from disabling conditions and getting them home, especially with the added stress of a pandemic. You have to be mentally strong, you have to be able to motivate and you have to have compassion while you are motivating patients so they know they are cared for. Kourtney Egge, DPT, is a great example of this. In fact, as a soccer and basketball player, she went through rehab herself after undergoing complete reconstruction of her knees. She understands what it’s like to go through many of the challenges her patients do, she said.

However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kourtney and the rest of the Rehabilitation Center staff have faced a new set of challenges.

“We have some post COVID patients who have been with us for weeks, sometimes even months, and they don’t get to see their family that whole time. That is tough,” Kourtney said. “The hardest part is definitely not having family present.”

While it isn’t the same as having family actually at the facility, Norman Regional’s Rehabilitation Center does have clinical iPads that patients can use to FaceTime family members and let them know how they are doing.

The strains that COVID-19 has put on Norman Regional’s Rehabilitation Center have been difficult, but it has also exposed the strength of the department.

“Between our therapy staff, our nursing staff and leadership, we are a very tight knit group and we act like a family, joke like a family. We’re there for each other and our patients are family too,” Kourtney said. “If our patients feel like they are in good hands, then our outcomes will be significantly better.”

Mental and Physical Wellness

There are also aspects of rehabilitation that most people probably don’t realize the importance of. For example, Norman Regional’s Rehabilitation Center has a neuropsychologist, who provides an incredibly valuable resource to patients.

“Not only is rehab a physical change to their bodies, but mentally it’s a big life change as well,” Kourtney said. “If you’re missing a component of the rehab process, like if we didn’t have a neuropsychologist and patients became depressed, it can all fall apart. Sometimes you have to process things emotionally before you can begin making physical progress.”

Mental well-being during the pandemic has been a struggle for many. With the added stress of going through rehab, helping patients process their situation emotionally and mentally is a crucial component of recovery.

So while COVID-19 has presented unique challenges to Norman Regional’s Rehabilitation Center, the tight knit bond and the ability to adapt has kept them going strong.

Norman Regional’s Rehabilitation Center provides services for patients that have gone through acute care with disabling illnesses or injuries, ensuring they have a safe and functional transition back to everyday life. With a highly trained team, state-of-the-art equipment and a compassionate spirit, Norman Regional is here to help patients on their journey home.

Please call 405-307-3863 or visit https://www.normanregional.com/services/inpatient-rehabilitation to learn more about inpatient rehab at Norman Regional.