The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program at New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland (NERHP) provides patients with:

• Comprehensive Medical Care
• Intensive Therapies (physical, occupational and speech)
• Support Services (neurobehavioral, dietary)

This program provides patients with the support and education needed to reach their maximum level of independence and understanding of their disease. The cardiopulmonary program is designed to assist individuals with pulmonary and/or cardiovascular related diagnoses to maximize their functional abilities and promote optimal physiological and emotional health.

Cardiac Disease
Patients with cardiac disease include a wide variety of different medical conditions including heart attack, coronary artery disease, valve disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and angina. Many patients have undergone a cardiac surgery and require rehabilitation to return to a healthy lifestyle. These surgeries include: bypass surgery, valve replacements, stent placements, cardiac catheterization, and pacemaker placement.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Approach
Following a cardiac procedure or cardiac episode it is important to ensure that you or your loved one receives good medical and physical rehabilitation. The cardiac rehabilitation program at New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland is designed for individuals with cardiac related diagnoses to maximize functional abilities and promotes optimal physiologic and emotional adjustment. The team is able to accomplish these goals by:

• Individual assessments of cardiovascular response to exercise by a trained physical and occupational therapist.
• Development of a patient-specific progressive exercise/activity program by the therapy team.
• Ongoing management of medical issues by an internist and physiatrist in consultation with their cardiologist.
• Daily nursing assessment for all patient needs.
• Dietary consult and education for eating a heart healthy diet.
• Neurobehavioral consult for emotional adjustment or counseling as needed.
• Case Management will assist patient's and families to plan for discharge while communicating with Medical staff the patients' need for out-patient cardiac rehabilitation after discharge from NERHP.
• Patient and family education about the cardiac disease process and lifestyle modifications will take place on a daily basis or can be scheduled into formal education sessions as needed.
• Patient will participate in the cardiopulmonary education/exercise series.

Cardiopulmonary Education/Exercise Series
While at New England Rehabilitation Hospital, cardiopulmonary patients will participate Monday through Friday in a cardiopulmonary education/exercise series. Cardiopulmonary group provides a comprehensive treatment plan which includes educational learning and endurance training for the cardiopulmonary patients. Listed below are some topics discussed through a multidisciplinary approach:

• Energy conservation
• Oxygen handling
• Monitoring vitals
• Breathing techniques
• Exercise tolerance
• Heart attack/stroke warning signs
• Neurobehavioral Services: relaxation, stress relief, anxiety management
• Diet plans and good food choices

Cardiac Rehabilitation Goals
The Cardiac Team has developed this special patient-specific program with certain goals in mind. In order to optimize our patient's outcomes, the team work with the patient and the family members towards the following goals:

• Independent ambulation with or without an assistive device, such as a walker.
• Independent bathing and dressing with adaptive equipment.
• Ability to pace activity throughout the day so as to not tire easily with one task.
• Proper heart healthy diet with necessary modifications towards weight loss and calorie management.
• Taking all medications as directed by the physician with a basic understanding of the medicines use and effects.
• Ability of the patient to recognize cardiac event warning signs and have a proper action plan.
• Patient will be able to monitor his/ her pulse independently.
• The patient will understand his / her cardiac disease and how it can be best managed within the patient's capability.

The Cardiopulmonary Specialty Program
NERHP's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program adheres to standards established by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. It is comprised of multidisciplinary team members and uses an outcomes-based approach to rehabilitation. This team meets monthly to continue to develop and improve upon the cardiopulmonary rehab program by addressing the ever-changing patient and hospital needs.

Team Members Include:

• Physiatrist
• Program Leader
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Therapist
• Nurse
• Dietician
• Pharmacist
• Case Manager