Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
• Evaluates the patient's functional status including:
• Review of medical history, diagnosis and physician's prescription.
• Observation and interview of patient/caregiver.
• Application of appropriate assessment procedures.
• Determines short and long-term goals with patient/caregiver input; establishes plan of care based upon goals and evaluation results.
• Implements appropriate therapeutic interventions, progressing treatment plan and teaching patients/caregivers activities to reinforce therapeutic interventions, providing/fitting appropriate assistive devices and recognizing patient distress signals which need follow-up
• Documents evaluations/re-evaluations, treatment plans, progress notes and discharge summaries; records data required for statistics, billing, and quality improvement activities as appropriate.
• Utilizes the assistance of Physical Therapist Assistants, Rehab Techs and volunteers as appropriate; provides supervision to the above as required by regulations.
• Communicates with multidisciplinary team members both formally and informally, discussing evaluation findings, patient progress and other pertinent information.
• Communicates with patients/caregivers to allay anxieties, seek input and elicit cooperation.
• Participates in discharge planning with interdisciplinary team, recommending appropriate assistance and continuation of the rehabilitation program.
• Participates in performance improvement activities, collecting data and suggesting areas for improvement.
• Resolves unit issues/problems, developing resolutions and following up with both departmental staff and unit.