Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center
Our Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program

Where are we located?

Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center is part of the services offered at Winter Haven Hospital. Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center is on the 7th floor of the hospital. The program has 24 beds dedicated to rehabilitation services.

What certifications or accreditations?

• The Joint Commission
• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities(CARF)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center MAGNET Designation
• Designated site by the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program

Who does the program help?

• Persons 18 years and older
• Persons recovering from accident, illness or other event resulting in brain injury

What services are provided?

Services are provided by a team of professionals working together to assist persons in returning to their homes and activities they enjoy.

Professional services include the following:

• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Therapeutic Recreation
• Neuropsychology
• Social Work
• Care Coordination
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Support Groups and Counseling
• Rehabilitation Nursing

How are services provided?

Rehabilitation Nursing and Physician services are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Persons receive three hours of therapy per day, five days of the week. Additional services may be provided on other days, based on their needs. The three hours include Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology. The combination of these services is determined daily based on the individual patient needs. Therapeutic Recreation and/or Neuropsychology are also available based on the patient needs. Neuropsychology services are an important part of the brain injury program. Recreational therapy is also available. The information shared by persons participating in the program about their culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic status and language are considered in developing a rehabilitation program to meet the needs of each person.

When are services provided?

Therapy may start as early as 6:00 a.m. and is usually finished by 4:30 p.m. Evening hours are for relaxing with enjoyed activities, visiting with loved ones, and rest. The rehabilitation nursing staff continues to work with patients and families on their goals during evening and weekend hours.

What types of problems are addressed?

Persons we serve need help in areas such as:

• self care, such as dressing and bathing
• moving around safely
• communication
• thinking skills, such as problem solving and memory
• returning home safely
• understanding feelings about brain injury and changes in life activities
• Help with behaviors that have changed
• Understanding and managing their illness, especially as it relates to brain injury

Psychological adjustment, mental health issues, and behavior management are treated as part of the person’s reason for admission, but are not the primary reasons for admission. If substance abuse has been a part of the person’s past, or is a factor in the brain injury recovery, the team considers the person’s present and future needs, and a referral is made during their stay or after discharge.

What education is provided?

Education is an important part of our program.

How is education provided?

• During therapy sessions
• Conversations with your treatment team
• Reading materials
• Videos
• Hands on training with family
• Lots of practice

What is included in your education?

• Information about your rehab condition
• Learning your risk factors and how to prevent brain injury
• Medication management
• Safety
• How to move around
• How to do daily activities, like getting dressed and bathing
• How to communicate
• How to help thinking skills, like memory
• How you can do activities that you enjoy
• Use of special equipment

When is it time to leave Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center?

Planning for return home starts before you come to Joy-Fuller Rehabilitation Center. The person we serve, family and team work together in planning for discharge:

• When there are not medical problems needing hospital care.
• You have improved in moving around, helping with your self care and other daily activities that are important to you.
• You are able to complete your daily activities safely with assistance from your support system.
• When the patient, family and team decide that the maximal benefit from the program has been reached.

Our Mission:

To improve the health of the people we serve, by providing the highest quality and most effective care and services-
and to return value to the people in our communities.

Admission Criteria:

1. 18 years of age and older with medical necessity for inpatient rehabilitation.

2. Having medical issues that can be managed on the rehab unit as determined by the Medical Director. If the person's status changes from acceptance date, we have the right to change acceptance decision.

3. With reasonable expectations for functional gains.

4. Pending approval by Administration/Finance Department.

5. For whom inpatient rehabilitation is deemed to be the most appropriate use of the person's long-range financial resources.

6. Based on bed availability for the 24-bed unit. Five beds on the unit are designated for the Brain Injury Program

7. Who have the potential of participating in 3 hours of therapy per day 5 days per week.

8. Who are free from communicable diseases.

9. With a Diagnosis of Acquired Brain Injury.

10. With Rancho Los Amigos Scale of 4 or higher.

11. Who are not dependent upon a ventilator/respirator.

12. Who will remain free of tobacco products, non-prescribed drugs or alcohol for the duration of the program.

13. Who are willing to abide by the rules of the program including privileges on and off the unit.

14. Whose primary focus of treatment is for physical medicine and rehabilitation, and not primarily substance abuse (drug or alcohol), behavioral issues and/or mental health.

15. For whom admission to the unit would not generate a safety risk to the person or other persons being served on the unit, or are a major disruption to the running and efficiency of persons being served on the unit, as deemed by the Medical Director.

16. Who are not at risk for elopement.

Discharge Criteria:

1. The person’s ability to tolerate the program has changed so that a different setting is indicated.

2. The person has improved to the projected functional level that will allow discharge to a specified environment, supervised or non-supervised.

3. The person has received maximum benefit from the program.

4. The person experiences a major intervening surgical, medical or psychological problem that precludes benefit from a continued intensive rehabilitation program.

5. The person and/or the support system are no longer willing to be active participant in the program.

6. The overall goal of the person’s program or the discharge plan has changed, in such a way that the intensive rehabilitation program is no longer the best use of the person’s resources.

The person served has the right to make decisions regarding his or her rehabilitative care, and the right to refuse any portion of the program, up to and including discharge against medical advice. Should the person elect to exercise his or her rights, rehabilitation nursing will guide the person and the family through the process.