In 2010, El Camino Hospital recognized an opportunity to elevate the overall quality of post-acute care available to its patients. To address this need, the hospital opened the 30-bed inpatient Rehabilitation Center in Los Gatos.
The Rehabilitation Center offers a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program and specializes in treating patients affected by stroke, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, amputations, traumatic spinal cord injuries and more. Since its founding, the Rehabilitation Center team has always looked beyond traditional therapies and sought out innovative and holistic ways to treat patients.
Rehabilitation Center Medical Director Dr. Justin Liu and his team of attending physicians and therapists create a personalized therapy plan for each patient addressing their unique medical conditions and functional goals. These plans also include alternative, well-being therapies such as massage, visiting musicians, art therapy, pet therapy, and more.
"While the core of our program is based on tried-and-true physical, occupational and speech therapy techniques, we also offer quite a few holistic options," says Dr. Liu. "Desta, our therapy dog, visits the center every Friday and we encourage patients to have their families bring their own pets to visit them. We have a fantastic outdoor space where family dogs, cats, and even a parrot once, come to visit patients. We also have an artist who stops by twice a week to work with our patients. She checks in with every patient in the center and really gets to know them, and helps them participate in a creative outlet, regardless of their level of talent. We find that these kinds of approaches are just as important to a patient’s overall health and well-being as traditional speech and physical therapy."
In addition to holistic services, the Rehabilitation Center offers personalized activities such as gardening and “exer-games,” which use motion-based gaming technology to augment therapies, and aid in the recovery process. The center believes in the philosophy that patients are most engaged in their recovery therapies when the task at hand is not viewed completely as pure work.
Dr. Liu is proud that El Camino Hospital can offer holistic and alternative therapies to its patients. "With this combination of traditional, evidence-based therapies and innovative holistic health approaches, our program can truly help provide our patients with the tools they need to regain function and improve overall quality of life."
Read more about the Rehabilitation Center at El Camino Hospital Los Gatos.
