Rehabilitation Therapy in a Post COVID World
Hospitals throughout the US are providing post-COVID-19 rehabilitation therapy.
Some patients who have experienced severe Coronavirus symptoms have been bedridden for long periods of time, on ventilators, and/or feeding systems. As a result, as with many other long term illnesses, these patients have lost motor skills and must be retrained as they re-enter their pre-Covid life.
Other patients, who have had milder cases of COVID and may not have even been hospitalized, experiencing diffuse, hard-to-diagnose but debilitating symptoms — sometimes described as "long-haul covid" -- are also in need of rehabilitation therapy.
Why Rehab Therapy is Necessary
Such therapy programs help patients recover strength and functional skills after suffering from serious cases of COVID-19 that have weakened motor functions .
Physical therapy addresses overall weakness, gait, balance, and endurance. Occupational therapy deals with regaining ability to perform daily activities, while speech therapy focuses on swallowing and speech difficulties.
Therapist employment changed at the height of the pandemic, but as the vaccination program rolls out, and more medical providers turn to caring for recovering patients, expect travel therapy hiring to change as well.
Continuing education classes are an important part of professional development. As health
