ACTIVITIES

"The Spice of Life at NHC, Charleston"

Adding Life to the Years

The primary responsibility of the Recreation Department is to help each individual develop positive leisure attitudes by offering innovative programs and therapeutic activities which not only adds years to life, but also life to the years. Life itself is an unplanned, unscheduled, uncoordinated activity program. Everything we do from breathing to bathing, singing to seeing, can be considered an activity.

With several hours per day of leisure time (free time) to fill as they choose, recreation becomes a very vital part of each patient's day. The recreation department strives to offer exciting, therapeutic activities daily such as sensory and mental stimulation programs, in room recreation programs, religious services, special events and entertainment, resident council and daily group activities. These events are planned to meet the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and educational needs of all patients while also providing an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment. We invite everyone to come and be a part of the fun filled world of RECREATION and add SPICE TO YOUR LIFE!

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Our food and nutrition department has an Executive Chef and a Registered Dietitian. We serve three meals daily to our patients and a stocked pantry on each wing. Our alternative menu makes it possible for most needs to be met on a daily basis. We serve pm snacks and offer frozen yogurt in our dining room at all times. Guest and staff meals are available for purchase in the front office and we have several special meals for holidays throughout the year. It is our mission to provide comforting and wholesome food with excellent service.

HOUSEKEEPING AND LAUNDRY

Housekeeping is provided seven days a week to insure the cleanliness of the facility. Laundry services can be provided at the request of the patient and/or family. Patient's clothes must be labeled if laundry is done in the center.

NURSING

At NHC HealthCare, Charleston, we have a 24 hour staff of registered and licensed nurses as well as certified nursing assistants who provide various services for our patients. We also have physicians, physician's assistants, and nurse practitioners who make regular visits to patients and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The physicians, physician's assistants and nurse practitioners are with The Geriatric Facility Care Specialists.

The following nursing services are available at NHC HealthCare, Charleston

• Managed Care
• Sub acute and Skilled Care
• Traditional Care

Managed Care

NHC HealthCare, Charleston will coordinate with your managed care organization/insurance company to provide skilled or traditional services necessary for your continuum of care.

Sub acute and Skilled Care

Our skilled nursing services provide transitional care for patients who require intensive nursing restorative needs. Whether needed for weeks, days, or months, physician directed healthcare services are designed to complement a hospital stay, or in many cases, be a substitute for hospitalization.

Our skilled nursing services include:

• Daily Lab Services
• IV Therapy
• Medically complex Patient Management
• Medication Management
• Nutritional Therapy
• Orthopedic Care
• Pain Management
• Rehabilitative Therapy
• Wound care

Traditional Care

NHC HealthCare, Charleston also provides care to support individual's activities of daily living. It is our goal to help each individual achieve and maintain the highest possible level of independence based on their health care status

Our traditional nursing services include:

• Assistance with Activities of Daily Living
• Medication Assistance
• Patient and Family Education
• Restorative Therapy/ Maintenance Therapy

PHARMACY

Pharmacy services are offered through Network HealthCare with a special emphasis on providing each individual resident with the most efficient service. A registered pharmacist oversees the pharmacy services and is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The pharmacist not only ensures that the patients receive the proper medications, but also routinely checks the medication orders. These checks allow the pharmacist to identify and prevent drug and diet interactions. Medications are supplied to the facility according to state regulations. Charges for medications are not included in the room and board charges. Itemized lists may be available upon request.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Choosing a skilled nursing center for a loved one can be a difficult and trying experience for the patient and their family. Our Social Service Department at NHC HealthCare, Charleston understands these concerns and is trained to assist the patient and families in making the best possible decision. Our Admissions Director's goal is to make the transition in the center as smooth as possible and is available to answer any questions that a family may have. Also, the Admissions Director meets with the family prior to admission and reviews available services, insurances, and all paperwork for admission. Our two social workers work one-on-one with patients and their families throughout the stay at the center. They also help with discharge planning and coordinate continuation of care once a patient is ready to return home as well as they will assist in finding long term placement if needed. It is our intention here at NHC HealthCare, Charleston to make each patient's stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. We are constantly striving for excellence; therefore we always welcome suggestions for improvement

THERAPY

Our rehab team has grown to over 18 physical, occupational, massage, and speech therapists over the past 5 years providing over 75 years of experience working with the geriatric population. Our therapists offer individualized treatment catered to the specific patient need and discharge plan. Each of our therapists offer a variety of specialties to the team with out-patient services (orthopedics with manual therapy, work hardening and pain management), geriatrics care (neuromuscular, wound care, and NDT), and acute care (shoulder and hand therapy). The therapists play an important role in the interdisciplinary team to provide the most comprehensive and effective rehab with a focus on individual patient and family needs, allowing the patient to return home at their highest functional level.

NHC HealthCare, Charleston Rehab offers physical, occupational, massage, and speech therapy services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. Services include treatment for the orthopedic patients, post-surgical joint replacement, low back pain, neurological and neuromuscular disorders, strokes, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Guilliane-Barre, MS, dementia, traumatic brain injury, weakness and debility associated with general medical diagnoses such as pneumonia and UTI.

Physical Therapy (PT): Physical therapy plays a vital role in the rehabilitation process. A registered physical therapist assesses functional mobility and develops a plan of care to improve safety, restore and maintain function, and improve quality of life. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing movement potential. The plan of care relies heavily on interaction between the patient, family, and caregivers, and the interdisciplinary team. Physical therapists employ a number of tools to provide appropriate treatment and outcomes including; therapeutic exercise, postural stability and balance, gait training, transfer training, neuromuscular training, prosthetic and orthotic training, wound care and home evaluations. Modalities used include ultrasound, phonophoresis, iontophoresis, electrical stimulation, joint mobilization, massage, and myofascial release.

Occupational Therapy (OT): Occupational therapists focus on the ability to engage in meaningful activities of daily life such as self-feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming and domestic skills. Evaluation includes assessment of upper extremity gross and fine motor skills, hand therapy, visual-perceptual activities, seating and positioning, splinting and orthotic needs, and adaptive equipment needs. A registered occupational therapist assesses the patient's ability to perform activities of daily living and develops a plan of care targeted toward improving functional limitations and encouraging participation in such activities. The occupational therapist uses input from the patient, family and caregiver, and the inter-disciplinary team to determine potential interventions and effective treatment strategies. Having the ultimate goal of being able to provide greater independence and to improve quality of life is what the occupational therapy staff strives for.

Speech Therapy (ST): Speech therapy includes prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of communication, swallowing and cognitive disorders. A speech language pathologist assesses and evaluates speech, language, cognition, voice, and swallowing. The plan of care is specifically designed to improve areas of limitations including but not limited to: articulation, fluency, and voice resonance; language comprehension, expression, and processing; oral/laryngeal muscle strength and coordination in regards to safe swallowing; and attention, memory, problem solving, and executive functions. Speech therapists work closely with the multi disciplinary team to communicate diet needs and consistency to ensure patient safety and prevent aspiration. While monitoring patient specific diets, the speech therapist provides oral/laryngeal muscle strengthening to improve safe swallowing and upgrade diets as appropriate. Speech therapists use numerous standardized assessment tools and rely heavily on skilled observation and assessment of symptoms to measure patient progress and achieve desired outcomes.