After a stroke, individuals often receive occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology services at the hospital, in a rehab center or in their home. Many individuals continue to need therapy months after their stroke in outpatient settings to help regain skills for daily life.
Insurance companies and Medicare limit the number of outpatient therapy visits individuals can have, sometimes capping at 10 or 20 a year. Many patients are left with out of pocket costs, up to $200 per session, for subsequent visits which are needed for the potential to improve both function and independence. Since this is often financially out of reach, the Occupational Therapy Institute (OTI) of Salus University has been working to connect with other outpatient facilities who have patients about to expend their insurance visits to help ensure they can continue to progress, regardless of insurance or financial status.
Brianna Brim, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM, CLIPP, director of the Occupational Therapy Institute had the idea to make a commercial and along with the enthusiasm of two Salus Level I OTI Fieldwork students, Bill Risky ‘22OT and Kelly Carreras ‘22OT and the University’s communications team, developed some tools to help spread the word.
“Kelly and Bill really went above and beyond to develop a tool that resonates with our clients. So many people after a stroke know they can make more progress, and this video will help ensure they find us at OTI,” said Brim. The video has already been distributed to many community partners and resulted in a new referral in only two weeks of going public. If you or a loved one is in a similar situation following a stroke and could benefit from OTI services, please reach out to us at 215.276.3646.