Hopkins - Baylor Health Care System

Fun with a PurposeHealthplex’s outdoor playground, funded by the HopkinsCounty Health Care Foundation, lets kids have fun while buildingskills. “We have different surfaces—grass and pine mulchand concrete—so when kids are walking, runningor playing kickball, it’s more challengingthan being in a room with four walls,” saysElsianne Horton, a physical therapist.The playground’s climbing opportunities help kids buildstrength and learn to sequence, and the playground also featuresseveral types of swings, a slide, a sandbox and a water play space.Kids with sensory issues benefit from learning how to concentratein an outdoor area with noise, wind and bright sunlight.“Most of our kids have coordination, balance or weaknessissues that don’t allow them to play on a regular playground.They can play here, and the success they have really buildstheir confidence,” Horton says.Speech TherapyLanguage, Swallowing,Feeding and More“People who are unfamiliar with speechtherapy think that patients come inhere to learn how totalk,” says Lezley Brown,speech therapist. “It’smuch more than that.”Healthplex hastwo full-time speechtherapists trained towork with an arrayof patients, includingthose with autism ordysphagia. Brown is alsocertified in VitalStim,an electrical stimulationsystem that can retrainfacial and swallowingmuscles.Speech therapists workwith people who have:• Articulation delays• Infant and childhoodfeeding difficulties• Swallowing dysfunction (dysphagia)• Language delays• Sensory issues• Stuttering• Stroke-related difficulties• Voice abnormalities“We see several adults with strokeor traumatic brain injury,” Brown says.“Many things can go wrong after a stroke.We may need to work with patients onswallowing, expressive language, receptivelanguage or all three. Writing andreading can also be affected.”With children, it’s important to keeptherapy fun. “We do a lot of play-basedtherapy with opportunities for languageenrichment,” she explains.“The childrenI work withbecome a partof me. I growwith them, hurtwith them, feelwith them whenthey are crying,and laugh withthem when theyare happy.”—Lezley Brown,Healthplex speechtherapistPhysical TherapyA Step ForwardPhysical therapy focuses on walking,balance and problems with the lowerextremities. “We have a physical therapistwho specializes in balanceor vestibular rehabilitation,and we havean indoor therapy poolwith a lift for people whocan’t get in or out independently,”Sant says.The resistance of thepool helps build strength.“The therapeutic pool isnice because it has a widevariety of depths so wecan work on sitting balance,standing balanceand body awareness,”says Elsianne Horton, aphysical therapist. “Somechildren can controltheir body in water evenif they can’t on land. It’ssuch a freeing experiencefor people who are wheelchair bound.”Healthplex also offers a light gait hoistsystem, which helps support patients’weight so they can use a treadmill, anda neuroprosthesis system, which useselectrical stimulation to help childrenbuild leg strength so they can walkwithout braces.Occupational TherapyDeveloping DailyLiving SkillsHealthplex’s two occupational therapistsspecialize in treating children and adults.Children may have a diagnosis ofautism, a developmental delay, a sensoryprocessing disorder or one of many othersuch conditions. These disorders canlead to difficulties with visual perceptualskills, bilateral coordination and motorskills, which can cause difficulty withdressing, feeding, handwriting and more.Activities that can help these childrendevelop specific skills include playing withshaving cream and finger paint, stringingbeads, stacking blocks or playing gamessuch as Ants in the Pants or Operation.Adults may need occupational therapyif they have shoulder, elbow, wrist orhand problems from arthritis, tendinitisor injury. Some adults also receive treatmentfor neurological problems such asstroke or head injury.Activities for adults include exercisesto build strength and range of motion.They may also work in a kitchen to cutapples and follow recipes, or they maywork to learn how to get dressed usingtools like reachers or sock-aids.“Our ultimate goal for all of ourpatients is independence. We want themto do whatever they are capable of,” saysMegan McCoy, occupational therapist.Rehab Close to HomeYour Care is Your ChoiceIf you have a doctor’s prescription for physical, occupational or speech therapy you canfill it wherever you like. “Some doctors may name a specific therapy company on theprescription, but you have the right to choose where you have therapy,” Sant explains.“We take all prescriptions, most insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid.”Bucket and shovel toys: ©ThinkstockHealth@Memorial • hcmh.com 5