Mercy Rehabilitation Services now open at the Mercy Health and Recreation Center

Patients to receive same expert care, enhanced services

Lorain – The Mercy Health and Recreation Center, a 50,000 square foot facility, located on the Amherst Metro Parks Hollstein Reservation, is now the new home of Mercy’s outpatient rehabilitation services, including occupational, speech and physical therapies, with a full spectrum of specialty services.

For over 30 years Mercy has been providing rehabilitation services in Lorain County. Now, this custom-built facility has allowed Mercy to enhance existing therapy programs and offer new services while providing a comfortable, therapeutic and convenient setting for patients. The Mercy Health and Recreation Center has been designed to maximize patient comfort and privacy with an emphasis on overall wellness.

 Highlights of the facility include:

• 9,500 square feet of space dedicated to outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapies
• Separate waiting areas and therapy space for adult and pediatric patients
• A spacious and open gym for physical and occupational therapies, along with private treatment areas for speech therapy and specialized programs
• Dedicated pediatric suite with a unique sensory room
• Fully operational kitchen for home management training
• Private physician/therapy consultation rooms
• A dedicated therapy pool, including an underwater treadmill and cycle

Mercy Rehabilitation Services offers an entire spectrum of therapies and services at the new facility, and provides treatment to patients living with the effects of neurological disorders (such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease), orthopedic problems, sports-related injuries, women’s health issues, vestibular and balance challenges, developmental delay, and more.

Enhanced treatments offered by Mercy Rehabilitation Services at the new facility in Amherst include:

• Physical therapy services: use of an anti-gravity treadmill, designed to support patients’ bodyweight while they walk or run for quicker rehabilitation, aquatic therapy with water treadmill and cycle, and a balance machine to provide a new method of balance training and feedback.

• Occupational therapy: women’s health program to treat pelvic pain and incontinence and myofacial release, a hands-on, non-invasive treatment for pain relief.

• Pediatric services: a multidisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation center  with integrated physical, occupational and speech therapy in one suite, access to an adaptive playground for children of all abilities, dedicated waiting and treatment areas and engaging sensory room for treatment of sensory integration difficulties.

• Sports medicine: video gait analysis for runners, concussion rehabilitation, overhead athlete and ACL injury prevention, "return-to-play" sports specific drills, including jumping mechanics, balance, plyometrics, speed and agility training; and specialized aquatic rehab to help athletes return to advanced sport activities sooner.

Along with the new services, the Mercy Rehabilitation Services will continue providing comprehensive, personalized therapies our patients have come to expect, including:

• Physical therapy services: balance testing, kinesotaping, walking and running analysis, neurological and orthopedic therapies, cancer rehabilitation and much more.

• Speech therapy: evaluation and treatment of swallowing, speech-language and cognitive disorders. Specialized treatment includes electrical stimulation therapy for swallowing difficulties, oral motor therapy and vocal rehabilitation featuring the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT-LOUD). Also, augmentative and alternative communication evaluation and treatment for the non-verbal communicator.

• Occupational therapy services: patient and family education, therapeutic exercises and activities, activities of daily living training, neuromuscular rehabilitation, biofeedback, manual therapy techniques and the use of various modalities (ultrasound, electrical stimulation).

• Pediatric rehabilitation: specialized physical, occupational and speech therapy services for young patients, including play-based, structured therapy sessions, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services for non-verbal communicators and sensory integration therapy.

Inpatient, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services will remain at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain.

To provide our community with easy access to the care they need most, Mercy offers two convenient locations for outpatient rehabilitation: at the Mercy Rehabilitation Services of Elyria and now at the Mercy Health and Recreation Center in Amherst. For more information or to make an appointment, call 440.960.3400.