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About
Easy Street®
Long recognized as a regional
leader in rehabilitation services, the Miland E. Knapp Rehabilitation
Center has added Easy Street®, an innovative therapy area to
help patients experience physical and cognitive challenges of the
real world. Easy Street® is a simulation of typical community
settings inside the hospital. The first to be installed in Minnesota,
Knapp's Easy Street® is a visually appealing, therapeutic environment
where patients can relearn skills needed for daily living and regain
confidence in a safe, secure, yet highly motivation setting.
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On Easy Street®,
persons recovering from stroke, arthritis, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic
surgery, or other life-changing disabilities are able to repeat new real
life skills until they become comfortable. Patients receive the supportive
therapy they need to put them back on the road to independence.
Originally
created by therapist at Phoenix Memorial Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona,
Easy Street® has been nationally acclaimed for its innovation, realism,
and clinical value. A number of rehabilitation facilities nationwide have
installed Easy Street® to enhance their programs.
Easy
Street® at Knapp Rehabilitation Center includes:
Automobile
This module
allows the patient to experience safe car transfers, which prepares them
for a day pass and/or discharge. In the car environment, patients practice
adjusting to moving around a confined space and stationary objects (dashboard,
steering wheel, foot pedals). Patients also have the opportunity to learn
safe strategies of transferring mobility equipment into a vehicle. A parking
meter and a gas pump are included simulating related care tasks.
Theater and
Gymnasium
Theater
and flat bench gymnasium seating are featured to practice transfer training
to different styles of chairs/benches. A small marquee and a ticket window
simulating different counter heights are also included. There is also
a small area to experience wheeling or walking up a carpeted incline.
Restaurant
and Therapy Garden
The patient can
practice skills he or she will need in their own community restaurant.
Transferring, reading a menu, and ordering a meal are some of the challenges
this area provides. The therapy garden is also located next to the restaurant.
Patients can help water plants, watch the plants grow, and plant new plants
in the garden.
Bus
The bus
is equipped with steps, handrails, and bus fare-box, similar to a real
bus. The bus is also equipped with a spring-loaded floor to simulate movement,
enabling patients to work on high-level balance skills.
Market and
Pharmacy
Fully equipped
grocery and produce area is stocked with realistic fruit and vegetables,
a hanging produce scale, an open freezer case with weighted packages,
and a stocked shelf area. The checkout counter features cash register,
bagging area, and checking-writing platform. A shopping cart is available
to assist with transporting groceries. Pharmacy area is located next to
the market, which can assist patients with identifying and ordering medications.
Laundromat
Washer and
dryer along with sorting counter, ironing board, and coin operated soap
dispenser simulate the laundry environment.
Mobility Tracks
Floor surfaces
such as carpet, tile, parquet, linoleum, and cement provide walking and
wheelchair practice. There is an uneven trail to simulate outdoor nature
trails. A cash machine and mailbox are featured along with curb cuts to
model community settings.
Occupying 1,200
square feet in Knapp, Easy Street® incorporates the common barriers,
surfaces, and props that patients are likely to encounter at home or in
the community after discharge, e.g., curbs, heavy doors, booths, turnstiles,
and ramps.
Easy Street®
allows patients to test their strength, balance, and coordination in a
safe, supervised environment. It also enables family members to learn
about their loved one's special needs before discharge.
Easy Street®
helps patients return to home and community better prepared and confident
to meet the real world challenges they will face.
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