Inpatient Program

Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation is a comprehensive treatment program that provides hospitalized patients at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute with specialized care. The program is an important link in the rehabilitation continuum, offering home exercise programs and facilitating referrals to the Outpatient Program.

Services provided through the Inpatient Program include:

Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists teach patients the proper and safe way to move. They assist patients in regaining their mobility after their illness. This may provide exercise or training to recover the ability to walk, to move in and out of bed, to get in and out of a chair, or to climb stairs. Also, they teach ways to improve breathing and to reduce pain or unsteadiness. Physiotherapists can also provide detailed information about Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists evaluate a patient's physical and mental abilities. They are skilled in helping patients regain their ability to do all the things needed to take care of themselves at home. This includes bathing, dressing, and even basic housekeeping activities.

Social Work
Health problems can upset people’s lives and cause worry, fear, and stress. Social workers assist patients with planning and making choices while in the hospital and as they get ready to return home, including help with discharge planning, counselling and support, and community resource information.

Speech-Language Pathology
Speech-language pathologists are professionals in the field of communication and swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists see patients who have communication problems resulting from stroke or other neurological impairment, have swallowing disorders, or require tracheostomy care related to swallowing and voice/communication issues.

Nutrition
Nutrition is a major lifestyle factor in heart health and is important in the management of heart conditions. When requested by a doctor, the dietitian assesses a patient’s current diet and guides the patient in making healthier choices at home. See the Calendar for information on the weekly Heart Healthy Nutrition Class for patients and family. All patients are given a copy of the handout Eat for Your Heart's Content before they are discharged.

Smoking Cessation
The Inpatient Smoking Cessation Program recognizes that all patients who smoke benefit from advice and support for quitting. The Smoking Cessation nurse counsellor meets with all admitted smokers, helps them understand their readiness to quit, and provides resource materials and phone support as needed. Six months later, all counselled smokers are telephoned for follow-up assessment.