While the St. Charles Parish Hospital Auxiliary helps guide members of the community through rehabilitation efforts, it also puts a high level of importance on education. After all, the more a potential patient knows about maintaining good health, the less likely it is they become a patient in the first place.
A shining example of the way the Auxiliary does this is through its Pediatric Rehab and Cardiac Rehab programs.
The Pediatric Rehab Treatment, located on the 1st floor of the hospital, provides play-based therapy which includes a “rock wall” climbing area, games and bicycles to aid in a child’s therapy.
Materials provided by United Way of St. Charles give the hospital’s pediatric therapists the tools they need to keep patients engaged. Pediatric Therapy is play-based in order to keep things fresh.
The materials used at any given time depend largely on the specific needs of the child. Some children, do more table-based work like board games, while others gravitate toward physical activity. Another tool for pediatrics has been the iPad. A communication device app allows children who are non-verbal to have a means to expressively communicate and allows therapists to make informed recommendations for patients who could benefit from their own communication device.
Also located on the 1st floor of the hospital is the Cardiac Rehab program which is part physical exertion and part education. A walk through its exercise room reveals patients putting in work on the elliptical, exercise bike or treadmill to get their hearts healthy, with a speaker pumping out music to motivate them to move.
There is a separate classroom where patients can learn how to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle for themselves. There, a dietician educates about diabetes. There are medication classes, videos and posters detailing how to compare portions of different foods among the tools utilized by staff.
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