Therapies

St Cyril's highly skilled and knowledgeable rehabilitation team, includes Consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine, a neuro-psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapists and a speech and language therapist, in addition there is a dedicated nursing and health care team.

Our multidisciplinary team works cohesively on a basis of continuing professional development, acting as reflective practitioners on a daily basis. We use evidence based practice, keeping up-to-date with new and innovative research, to ensure the highest standard of patient care and therapeutic intervention.

Neuropsychology

The neuropsychologist conducts assessments which include a series of evaluations in areas such as attention/concentration, cognitive/intellectual functioning, concept formation, flexibility, memory and learning, sensory/perceptual skills, visual-motor functioning, social/emotional functioning, academic achievement, and adaptive functioning.

Guidance and support is provided to the patient, their family, colleagues, carers and practitioners, to help understand how the brain damage or injury may affect specific aspects of the patient's cognitive state, areas requiring specialist rehabilitation and the likely impact of those issues upon the patient's day to day life.

Occupational Therapy

Through assessment of physical and cognitive impairments, the Occupational Therapist will design a therapeutic program to reduce limitation, improve function, and adapt the environment, to help the patient return to the highest level of independence in daily activities.

Some of the interventions include: assessment and treatment of executive functions, perceptual impairments (including neglect), personal care, domestic activities and community tasks e.g. shopping, budgeting, and home assessment. The therapist will also develop individualised strategies to compensate for cognitive impairments as appropriate.

Physiotherapy

The physiotherapy team at St Cyril's work according to the Bobath Concept of Rehabilitation. The Physiotherapists will assess the potential of a patient's central nervous system to change/improve following a neurological deterioration, secondary to pathology/injury. The aim is to stimulate areas of the brain that may be damaged or surrounding brain cells, to adapt and improve through re-teaching the body's normal movement concepts using facilitation and therapeutic handling. If successful, a patient can develop improvements in their movement and balance control, maximising their functional potential.

The therapist will liaise with the team to manage activities holistically throughout the day to ensure normal movement strategies and treatment principles are reinforced to increase the likelihood of positive improvements. The therapy gym at St Cyril's is impressively equipped with access to many facilities. These include: treadmill with gait trainer computer program, disabled access/seated cycle trainer, multiple treatment plinths, gym stairs, parallel bars, excellent floor space and many treatment aids and provisions.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy at St Cyril's is delivered by an ATACP (Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists) qualified physiotherapist. The therapist works with the patient and carer to define appropriate achievable goals for the sessions in the pool. Treatment will be given via facilitation, exercises and use of equipment, based on buoyancy, resistance, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic principles. The hydrotherapy pool is a purpose-built facility, unrivalled in its excellence across the region, boasting a range of impressive facilities.

Speech and Language Therapy

The speech and language therapist team provides a specialist assessment to identify potential and subsequently maximise and maintain skills through treatment sessions with patients. The therapists are involved in aiding patients to learn coping strategies to increase participation and independence. The therapist uses hands on approach (facial oral tract therapy) as well as psychological approaches to assess and treat communication and swallowing difficulties. Rehabilitation Co-therapists

The team of Rehabilitation Co-therapists provides an essential link between nursing and therapy approaches, enabling rehabilitation principles to be carried out throughout the day, under the guidance of senior members of the multidisciplinary team.