Specialized Programs & Services

When a child sustains a traumatic injury or illness that requires rehabilitation, it can be very stressful for the entire family. As your child becomes medically stable and their immediate medical needs have been met; your healthcare team may recommend rehabilitation.

Pediatric rehabilitation is a subspecialty within the medical community. There are many unique factors about children and adolescents that must be addressed within their rehabilitation plan. It is important that the rehabilitation program provide a wide-range of services to meet the needs of the child and family, as well as helping ease the adjustment to school and other community organizations.

We know the decision to leave your hometown and travel to Lincoln, Neb., for pediatric rehabilitation services is difficult. We understand and are here to answer your questions. The most frequently asked question is "Why should I travel all the way to Lincoln, Nebraska, for rehabilitation for my child?" Families who have chosen to make the trip to Madonna for our Adolescent and Children's Rehabilitation Program provide some answers, below.

Families say the trip to Madonna was worth it:

• It's a long road between Blair, Neb., and Lincoln; seventy-five miles to be exact. It's a trip that the Hodgson family was glad to make after 13-year old Josh suffered a severe stroke that left him with paralysis and unable to talk. The Hodgsons originally did not consider Madonna because of the distance from Blair. However, after touring Madonna, seeing Independence Square, the Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC) and learning about the accredited pediatric program, the family felt it was a great fit with Josh's personality. "No other place has the education and pediatric program like the one we found at Madonna," said his mother, Kori. Josh spent four weeks as an inpatient at Madonna. He made so much progress that the family agreed to have him continue his outpatient rehabilitation at Madonna after discharge, using the Rehabilitation Day Program and Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC).
  

10 year-old Jeromie Meyer, who lives with his family in Woodbine, Iowa was riding his bike when he was suddenly hit by a drunk driver, resulting in several broken bones as well as a T10-T11 incomplete spinal cord injury. His parents chose Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital for his inpatient rehabilitation. Jeromie had mentioned his love for Husker baseball, so the therapists arranged for a surprise visit from Nebraska Baseball Head Coach Mike Anderson. The technology and patient-focused approach made it an easy decision for Jeromie's parents to choose Madonna for continued therapy after his discharge from inpatient care. Two to three times per week, Jeromie and at least one parent plus his older sister Bailee traveled almost 2 hours one way to Madonna for rehabilitation. "We could have gone somewhere closer to home, but we have seen how much progress he's made. It was slow at first, but now he's getting so much better," his father said. "Since being here [at Madonna], we've never been treated like a 'number'. The therapists have always treated Jeromie as a person, and it's not just him. I've seen that interaction with other patients, too," he added.

Five year-old Adam Lehman experienced a traumatic brain injury following a serious accident in which he fell from a second story window of his family's home in Omaha. His parents say the decision to come to Madonna was easy because the rehabilitation hospitals in Omaha do not have specialized rehabilitation programming for children and they wanted Adam to have the best care. "At first it was overwhelming and scary," said Adam's mother, Denise. Evenings after family and visitors left were the most difficult, but Denise said she found strength in other families she met at Madonna. "It seemed like there was a small support group that formed among parents and others who had loved ones at Madonna," said Denise. Madonna employees also offered kind words at important moments. "Many of the nurses would come and sit down with me. They asked questions about how I was doing and if there was anything they could do for me," she said. The comfort and expert care Adam received at Madonna reassured Lehman's that they were in the right place. "While we were here and we saw the improvements morning after morning, we knew this was where Adam was supposed to be," she added.

As a parent, what should I expect of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital?

Madonna is CARF-accredited as a Pediatric Family Centered Rehabilitation Program. As such, there are several principles that we have agreed to uphold and provide. These include:

• Staff and physicians who serve children/adolescents demonstrate specific competencies in pediatric rehabilitation


• Physical space and specialized equipment is available that meet the unique needs of children and adolescents.


• Use of a collaborative partnership approach that emphasizes joint responsibility for decision making and the achievement of established outcomes is used. Madonna staff involve the child/adolescent as well as the family/support system in all phases of the program.


• Opportunities for support including parent to parent, sibling to sibling, and peer to peer are offered throughout the program.


• Timely communication between the Madonna team and the child/adolescent's primary care physician occurs


• Extensive education and training program for both the child or adolescent as well as for the family/support system are provided.


• Information is exchanged between the child or adolescent's community school, Madonna team, and Madonna's Educational Specialist so that appropriate educational activities can occur while the child or adolescent is at Madonna. This also helps create a smooth transition back into the community school after discharge.


• Information regarding resources and advocacy relating to disability is made available to families/support systems.


• Madonna has policies in place that support family involvement in the rehabilitation process. For example, a family member is welcome to stay in their child or adolescent's room over night.


• Madonna offers support for families who are from out of town, such as affordable on-site housing.

What will Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital expect of me?

Research shows that family involvement in rehabilitation yields better outcomes for individuals who have sustained catastrophic injuries and illnesses. The family/support system is the constant in a child's life, while the service systems and staff within those systems change. Therefore, the most important thing we need from you is to be present and involved in your child’s program. More specifically, the team will want you to:

• Let us know about your child's normal schedule. The closer we can get to his/her normal schedule, the easier it will be for them to participate.


• Let us know about your child's likes and dislikes. Making therapy fun and enjoyable is an importatnt goal.


• Be available to observe therapy and be willing to learn new techniques so you can reinforce these with your child outside therapy. Any new skill, such as riding a bicycle, takes a lot of repetition and practice. Your reinforcement of new skills helps speed recovery.


• Let us know when you have concerns so we can take steps to explain the reasoning behind what we are doing, or to make adjustments if necessary.


• Help us with decision making. Our team will provide the rehabilitation training and education, but we need you to provide us with information on your child's unique personality, strengths, and challenges. By working together we can get the best results for your child's recovery.


• Help us involve your child. We are strangers and so they may feel shy about telling us things we need to hear. Your encouragement means a lot.


• Be a cheerleader! You will see your child make changes. While the staff certainly will point out those improvements and accomplishments, what you do to encourage and celebrate, no matter how small the accomplishment, will mean even more to them.