For Immediate Release
April 29, 1997
Rehab 1,2,3(tm) Opens April 30 At Riley Hospital For Children; Interactive
Rehabilitation Unit Is A Mini Playland For Kids
INDIANAPOLIS-- Its bright colors and moving parts make Rehab 1,2,3(tm) look like an attraction at an amusement park. But Rehab 1,2,3(tm) is actually an interactive physical therapy rehab system at Riley Hospital for Children. Lights, musical sounds and air-activated floor sections that move up and down help set the stage of Rehab 1,2,3(tm), which opens on April 30 in the Riley Rehabilitation Services Unit.
The new free-standing system has the appearance of a life-size, three dimensional game board. And physical therapy is the name of the game as children work on balance, communication, fine motor skills, gait-training, problem solving, range of motion, strength, endurance and socialization in a fun and challenging environment. Evaluations and treatments are disguised as activities of play and sport, encouraging children to travel various pathways found within the environment such as crawling through a tunnel, sliding into a bath of balls, scaling a rock wall, or jumping on a trampoline.
News media open house is scheduled at 2 p.m. on April 30. Patient families and Riley physical therapists will be present for interviews and demonstrations following a brief check presentation by the Rehab 1,2,3(tm) donors.
A special feature of Rehab 1,2,3(tm) is the Mr. Pipes(tm) control station. Reminiscent of a grand organ, transparent pipes produce surprises for patients as they successfully perform cognitive tasks. The pneumatic (air activated) system provides additional therapy opportunities with pop-up stepping stones and a balance beam that rises from the floor.
Riley Hospital's custom designed version of Rehab 1,2,3(tm) also includes a working television studio where gait analyses can be conducted. The Riley in-house television station, CCTV - Channel 5, will also use the studio to develop programming to broadcast throughout the hospital.
Regardless of the type of therapy, Rehab 1,2,3(tm) invites interaction among patients, their family members and therapists. Children learn by focusing on their abilities rather than disabilities.
Rehab 1,2,3(tm) was designed to fit into Riley Hospital's existing Rehabilitation Services Unit by Guynes Design, Inc., the architectural firm that created the innovative therapeutic setting. The firm's founder, David Guynes, fractured his back at the age of 15 and was told he would never walk again. His triumphant full recovery led him to designing physical and occupational rehabilitation environments, first for adults, then for children.
The Rehab 1,2,3(tm) system at Riley Hospital is only the third installation in the United States.
Funding for Rehab 1,2,3(tm) was made possible by the RCA Championships, the Indiana League of Credit Unions and private donations made through the Riley Memorial Association.
Office of Public & Media Relations
Contact: Ellen Gullett
(AC) 317-274-7722
egullett@iupui.edu
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