Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Who Are Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services For?

Our services are for people with severe injuries that disrupt brain functioning, including:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to a blow to the head from a car accident, bad fall, or gunshot wound.
• Acquired injuries, which include brain damage from medical conditions like a stroke, brain infection, or heart attack.

In addition to managing your loved one’s ongoing medical care, we deliver therapies to improve their:

• Ability to complete daily tasks
• Behavior, thinking, and reasoning (cognition)
• Communication skills
• Consciousness
• Memory
• Movement

Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury Care at Sunnyview: Why Choose Us?

Sunnyview excels in meeting the rehabilitative needs of people who experience life-changing conditions, like brain injuries. Our commitment to rehabilitation excellence has earned our hospital national recognition from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF®). We are among a small number of facilities in New York state with this designation.

Highlights of our program include:

• Comprehensive inpatient care: Our whole-person approach means your loved one receives care addressing their medical, physical, and emotional needs. We tailor plans to help patients make steady progress toward their goals. Care also includes emotional support, social activities, and time with loved ones.
• Family-centered approach: As your recovery progresses, we teach you and your loved ones how to keep you safe at home and avoid complications. If you live nearby, a therapist may visit your home to help the team tailor care instructions. After discharge, a nurse visits or calls to answer questions. Explore discharge planning.
• Excellent outcomes: We consistently help patients return home as soon as it is medically safe to do so. And nearly all families who choose Sunnyview would recommend us to others.

Inpatient Brain Injury Program Outcomes - 2023

We’re proud to share our Inpatient Brain Injury Program outcomes and patient satisfaction for 2022, which compares favorably with inpatient rehabilitation programs throughout the region and the nation.

Our Team Approach to Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Your loved one receives services from a team that understands the unique needs of people with TBI and acquired brain injuries. Meet our physical rehabilitation team.

The team includes:

• Physiatrists (rehabilitation medicine doctors) with decades of experience in brain injury rehabilitation. They use the latest care methods and are at your loved one’s bedside nearly every day.
• Neuropsychologists who assess your loved one’s cognitive abilities, including their attention, memory, concentration, and language skills. This information helps your loved one receive appropriate therapies through each stage of recovery.
• Nurses who are certified in rehabilitation nursing and have additional training in brain injury rehabilitation. They provide 24/7 care for your loved one.
• Behavioral health specialists who address challenges such as being impulsive and becoming easily frustrated. Their compassionate approach makes it easier for your loved one to express their needs in other ways.
• Therapists who help your loved one get stronger and regain skills so they can meet their recovery goals.

Specialized TBI and Acquired Brain Injury Recovery Services

We offer services that are not widely available, including:

Coma Recovery

Some people with brain injuries are in an unconscious state (coma). As they recover, they become minimally conscious with limited awareness and voluntary movement. Coma recovery includes medical care and stimulation that encourages people to regain consciousness.

Sunnyview is one of a few programs in the region that can care for minimally conscious patients. We use a gentle approach that includes:

• Engaging patients in self-care activities like guiding their hand so they can help with daily skin cleaning.
• Appropriate levels of stimulation, including light and sound, tailored to their needs.

Assistive Technologies and Devices

We help your loved one start walking again with assistance from:

• Wearable technologies: We use the ReWalk™ and Ekso™ Exoskeleton to help your loved one get back on their feet. When these devices sense movement, tiny motors engage to help them move their legs.
• Special harness and treadmill: The Litegait® system is a sturdy harness over a treadmill. It supports your loved one’s weight and ensures good posture. Therapists guide your loved one’s legs and feet as they walk at a safe, comfortable pace.

Additional Brain Injury Therapies

Your loved one’s care may also include:

• Counseling and cognitive therapy are part of your loved one’s daily care. We use a variety of techniques to improve memory, attention, learning, and judgment. The team addresses behavioral issues by pinpointing the source and teaching coping skills.
• Occupational therapy reteaches your loved one how to perform daily tasks like getting dressed and eating. Therapy also includes rehearsing social skills to improve interactions with other people. 
• Physical therapy builds strength, balance, and flexibility, all of which are important after being in bed for a long time. Therapists help your loved one gain stability while sitting, standing, and getting out of bed. Read more information about physical therapy.
• Speech therapy (pathology) addresses difficulties with speaking and swallowing to improve communicating and eating. Therapists address issues that may include slurred or slow speech. Read more about speech pathology.
• Family support helps you cope with changes in your loved one’s behavior and abilities and plan for their safe return home.

Outpatient Services for People with TBI and Acquired Brain Injuries

After your loved one completes inpatient care, we continue supporting their recovery. Our outpatient services include:

• Outpatient therapy: We help your loved one work toward new goals with outpatient speech, occupational, and physical therapy. Services are available in one visit, making it easier for your loved one to get the care they need. Explore outpatient neurorehabilitation.
• Driver rehabilitation: Our occupational therapists help your loved one safely get back on the road. Assessments, lessons, and special equipment enable people with disabilities maintain to control of their car. Read more about driver rehabilitation.