Patient thanks VMH therapy departments for rehabilitation
Chaseburg resident and Vernon Memorial Healthcare (VMH) patient Jeremy Harstad had a stroke on December 7, 2021. After spending weeks in the hospital, he was able to start outpatient therapies at VMH. He has been working with his Occupational Therapist, Allyson Daines, since January 26th, 2022. In honor of Occupational Therapy month, we are sharing Jeremy’s therapy journey at VMH.
Jeremy states, “I just want to say thank you! When I first started working with Allyson I couldn’t even put on my compression socks by myself. I knew I had a lot of work to do before I could get back to living on my own, driving, and ultimately returning to work. I am proof that sticking to your program and giving it 100% effort gives positive results.” He put in the hard work with his therapy team, and he is now back to living independently, has passed a driver safety assessment to get back on the road, and is almost ready to go back to his job.
When asked about treating her patients, Allyson said, “I develop a patient's treatment plan focusing on areas where the patient's function or independence in daily activities has been impacted, focusing on their goals and priorities, with hopes to return to a full and meaningful life. This looks different for each patient. In Jeremy's case, his goals focused on regaining independence to safely live in his home, reintegrate into the community, return to safe driving, and return to work following his recent stroke.”
The occupational therapy department has an average of 50-60 outpatient visits each week. You can see an occupational therapist both through a referral from your doctor and as a direct access patient if allowed by your insurance plan.