Patient using forearm crutches with therapist walking alongside her

What to Expect

Your Physical Rehab Journey

A physician, nurse, and various team members will evaluate a patient upon admission. The results of these evaluations, along with information about health status and medical history, will be used to provide a baseline of data from which the patient and rehabilitation team can develop goals and a plan of care.

Patients will be asked questions about their goals for rehabilitation. These goals should be challenging, but also realistic. Patients should be able to accomplish goals in a reasonable amount of time. Some goals may be attainable by the discharge date and other goals will continue to be worked on at home or in another setting.

A patient’s plan of care is unique to their situation, needs, and goals. A therapy schedule will be based on the plan of care and therapists will select specific programs and activities that enable the patient to achieve their goals. The plan of care will be revised as needed to reflect medical status and progress and will be discussed with the patient/family on a regular basis. The team meets on a weekly basis to review patient progress and adjust the plan as needed.

Patient rooms are located on 24-bed disability-specific units. The nurse’s station is located in the center of the unit

A Typical Day

Each morning, patients dress in their own clothes and are served breakfast. Patients participate in at least three hours of therapy, following the assigned therapy schedule. Lunch takes place at about 12:00 noon, and therapy generally ends for the day about 3:30pm Patients are then free to rest, relax, spend time with visitors or take advantage of any of the amenities or services offered. Dinner is generally served at 4:45pm.

Discharge Planning

Discharge planning begins for each patient on the day of admission. Each patient actively participates in this process along with their case manager, treatment team, and family members and/or caregivers. Our goal is to make all the arrangements that patients and families will need in order to ensure a successful transition home. This includes referrals or appointments for follow-up care or home care.

The Rehabilitation Team

An interdisciplinary treatment team of physicians, nurses, therapists and other professionals focus on ensuring that patients achieve as complete a recovery as possible, including relearning activities of daily living and regaining maximum mobility and independence. The PATIENT is the most important member of the rehab team, which may include the following members.

Family Participation

Family members and caregivers are considered an integral part of the rehabilitation process and we strongly encourage their active involvement. They may attend therapy sessions to observe, or receive training and/or instruction from a therapist so they will understand what to expect on the return home. They may also meet with the patient’s case manager to make arrangements for discharge.

Cost of Services / Insurance

Hospitals are required by law to make available information about their standard charges for the items and services they provide. Please visit our Pricing Transparency page for more information.

Please bring your insurance cards at admission, upon registration for outpatient services, or any time your coverage changes.

Helen Hayes Hospital provides the highest quality of care to all patients regardless of payer. While we participate in many major health plans we recommend you carefully read the terms of your policy and check with your insurer for complete details utilizing the member inquiry number generally located on the back of your insurance ID card. If there are any further questions call 845-786-4924 or 845-786-4872.

Charity Care

For those patients who need assistance paying for their services, Helen Hayes Hospital offers payment options, including payment plans, appropriate referrals to Social Services for Medical Assistance, or charity care for eligible applicants. They may contact our financial counselor to discuss a payment option that best suits their qualifications at 845-786-4413.

Patient Relations / Advocacy

If there is a special need, concern or problem, or question about the patient stay, please do not hesitate to contact our Patient Relations office at 845-786-4210. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephone messages may be left after hours. The patient representative is also available to assist the family on any topic of concern.

"You gave me the help I needed to recover and rebuild my confidence in myself to handle the challenges I’m about to embark on for the rest of my life." 

For more information, please contact the
Helen Hayes Hospital Admission Referral Center:

1-888-70-REHAB ext. 4535
845-786-4535
info@helenhayeshospital.org

To schedule a guided tour,
call 845-786-4118