About Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital

As Colorado’s first licensed acute rehabilitation hospital, Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital is the region’s premier facility for a range of physical and cognitive rehabilitation needs. We have served the Greater Denver area for more than 50 years, supporting patients on their paths to recovery.

For more information about rehabilitation services at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, please call (303) 367-1166.

Rehabilitation center in Aurora, Colorado

Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs. These programs are administered by our expert rehab team, which includes some of the Rocky Mountain region's leading providers. This team helps patients return to their functional lifestyles through individually designed, medically supervised therapies.

Therapies are provided in open gyms, private treatment areas, outdoor treatment spaces and other areas on our campus. Each patient receives an integrated, collaborative therapy plan personalized to their needs.

Why choose us for rehabilitative care

We provide a highly integrated team specializing in physical, psychological, occupational, respiratory, speech, language and cognitive rehabilitation. This type of specialized care resulted in our hospital becoming the first facility licensed as a rehabilitation hospital by the state of Colorado in 1968.

Our patients' success is due, in part, to this comprehensive approach to physical and cognitive rehabilitation, as well as our longevity in the community.

Additional features of our rehabilitation center include:

  • Accreditation by The Joint Commission for our demonstrated compliance with nationally recognized healthcare standards
  • Dining room where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet-style (guest meals available for a small fee)
  • Family and caregiver inclusion in rehabilitation planning and therapies
  • Flexible visiting hours and pet visits allowed
  • Fully functional apartment on-site for participating in home and self-care exercises
  • Investments in advanced rehabilitation technology to help improve patient outcomes
  • High percentage of staff certified by the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS), a voluntary national certification program
  • Life gym, which simulates real-life experiences that patients will encounter after they leave our facility, such as a restaurant or grocery store
  • Outdoor challenge course where patients can practice walking on various inclines and terrains
  • Private, spacious patient rooms
  • The only dedicated Controlled Stimulation Unit for brain injury in Colorado
  • Therapy gym, which features innovative technologies and low-tech, real-world activities, such as climbing stairs

Inpatient rehabilitation program

Our inpatient rehabilitation programs are supported by 24/7 physician and nursing care.

Our inpatient programs include:

  • Amputation rehabilitation
  • Comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation
  • Neurological rehabilitation
  • Neuropsychological and psychological services
  • Orthopedic rehabilitation
  • Spine rehabilitation
  • Stroke rehabilitation
  • Swallowing evaluations and treatment
  • Traumatic brain injury rehabilitation
  • Vestibular and balance rehabilitation

Each inpatient has a private, spacious room with a private bathroom. Meals are served family-style in our dining room to encourage social interaction and to keep patients active during their stay.

Based on the patient’s tolerance, therapies occur throughout the day and throughout the hospital, including in patient rooms, the therapy gym, the life gym, the rehabilitation apartment and our outdoor challenge course.

Inpatient rehab admission criteria

To participate in our inpatient program, patients must meet the following criteria:

  • Generally, the patient must be 16 years old or older.
  • It must be anticipated that the patient will make progress toward functional goals within a reasonable time frame.
  • The patient must be able to tolerate three hours (throughout the day, not all at once) of a combination of skilled therapies per day (such as physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapies).
  • The patient must require daily nursing and physician care.
  • The patient must be medically stable and have functional needs that can be addressed through rehabilitation techniques.

Inpatient amputation rehabilitation

Starting a comprehensive rehabilitation exercise program following a surgical amputation is essential to the recovery process. Our approach to rehabilitation after amputation focuses on post-surgical and prosthetic therapy, ultimately helping our patients reintegrate into their daily activities.

Our amputation rehabilitation program focuses on:

  • Enhancing daily living skills
  • Maximizing independence
  • Regaining productivity

Preparing for a prosthesis

The period between the surgical amputation and the fitting of an artificial limb (prosthesis) is referred to as the pre-prosthetic phase of rehabilitation. The goal of this phase of rehabilitation is to heal, build strength, control pain, enhance independence and prepare for the prosthesis fitting.

After the prosthesis fitting, we educate the patient and their family on proper prosthesis use, maintenance and care.

Inpatient neurological rehabilitation

We tailor our neurological rehabilitation treatment plans to meet the specific needs of our patients. Although participating in three hours of therapy per day is critical to success, rest and relaxation are also crucial components. Our team will build a daily plan that allows for rest periods in the patient's private room between sessions.

We provide rehabilitation programs for a variety of neurological conditions that include but are not limited to:

  • Aneurysm
  • Arteriovenous malformation
  • Brain tumor (cancerous and noncancerous)
  • Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • Huntington's disease
  • Meningioma
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Spinal disorders and injuries
  • Stroke

As part of our mission to help our patients achieve maximum independence, we also work with regional organizations to provide resources and support to our patients. Our facility works closely with the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado, and we are an active supporter of the Rocky Mountain Stroke Association, serving stroke patients and their families.

Neuropsychological evaluations

Clinical neuropsychology is a medical specialty focused on brain function. A clinical neuropsychologist is a licensed psychologist with expertise in how behavior and skills are related to brain structures and systems.

We perform neuropsychological evaluations to help doctors and other healthcare professionals understand how a patient's brain is functioning.

Inpatient stroke rehabilitation

After stroke treatment, rehabilitation can help patients regain function and skills. Even though stroke rehabilitation does not reverse brain damage, rehabilitation can substantially reduce disabilities related to stroke and help people achieve the best possible long-term outcomes.

The inpatient stroke rehabilitation program helps patients:

  • Relearn to take care of personal needs, such as dressing, eating or bathing
  • Be safe in the home, including training for family members and caregivers
  • Relearn to use an affected arm and/or leg
  • Regain speech and thinking abilities
  • Cope with the life changes that stroke recovery often requires

Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation

Our inpatient brain injury program is designed for individuals who require 24-hour nursing care, a physician to manage ongoing medical conditions and rehabilitative therapies.

Brain injury rehabilitation involves two essential processes:

  • Restoration of functions that can be rehabilitated to pre-injury levels
  • Learning how to do things differently when functions cannot be restored to pre injury levels

Controlled Stimulation Unit

Patients with brain injuries can often be highly sensitive to stimulation. Sources of stimulation can be TV, radio, phones, other electronics, lighting or too many visitors. Because of this, we follow low stimulation guidelines for patients recovering from traumatic brain injuries.

Additionally, we are home to the only Controlled Stimulation Unit (CSU) in the state of Colorado. Our CSU was specially designed to optimize the brain’s ability to heal during this important time in the recovery process.

Inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation

Many patients are unable to go directly home after an orthopedic surgery. These patients can benefit from our inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation program, which helps restore strength, mobility and the ability to perform activities.

Our program benefits patients with a variety of orthopedic conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Bone cancer
  • Diabetic foot conditions
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hip, knee and leg injuries and disorders
  • Movement disorders
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis

Inpatient spine rehabilitation

Spinal injuries have the potential to significantly impact a patient’s daily life and routine. Our inpatient spine rehabilitation program emphasizes a collaborative model of care after a patient experiences a spine injury or surgery.

Our program benefits patients with a variety of spine conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Chronic back pain
  • Compression fracture
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Fractured vertebrae
  • Herniated disk
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Spinal stenosis

Outpatient neurological rehabilitation program

Our outpatient rehabilitation program is a highly specialized, multidisciplinary program focused on helping patients recover from neurological injuries and surgeries.

Our outpatient neurological rehab program addresses:

  • Difficulty completing daily living activities (e.g. grooming, bathing, dressing, cooking, shopping, etc.)
  • Difficulty expressing wants, needs, and/or ideas
  • Difficulty in moving arms or hands
  • Difficulty walking or moving around
  • Difficulty with attention, memory, and/or planning
  • Dizziness and/or vision changes
  • Frequent falls or difficulty with balance
  • Swallowing difficulties
For more information on our outpatient program, please call us at (303) 363-5150.

Outpatient neurological rehab schedule

Outpatient services are available five days per week, from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Patients are scheduled according to the services they need. If multiple services are needed, we make every effort to schedule all services on the same day for our patients' convenience.

Outpatient neurological rehab admission criteria

To participate in our inpatient program, patients must have a physician's order and meet one of the following criteria:

  • The patient has recently been discharged from inpatient/acute rehabilitation.
  • The patient would benefit from intensive rehabilitation services.
  • The patient has longstanding neurological injuries and is in need of continued rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation support groups

We understand how helpful it can be to the recovery process when patients and their families can connect with people facing similar diagnoses. This is why we offer access to several support groups, both on our campus and in the Aurora area.

Brain injury support group

The brain injury support group is available for ongoing interaction with other brain injury survivors and caregivers. The support group meets the fourth Wednesday of every month from 6:30pm to 8:00pm in the first floor conference room at our hospital.

For more information about the brain injury support group, please call (303) 363-5115.

Hep.C Connection

This group meets the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30pm to 8:00pm in the our hospital's visitor/staff dining room.

For more information about Hep.C Connection, please call (720) 917-3960.

Post-polio support group

This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at 9:45am in the inpatient dining room on our hospital's second floor.

For more information about the post-polio support group, please call (303) 360-6887.

Pulmonary support group

This group meets the first Tuesday of the month at 10:00am in the inpatient dining room on the second floor of our hospital.

For more information about the pulmonary support group, please call (303) 363-5116.

Rocky Mountain Stroke Support Group

We offer the Rocky Mountain Stroke Support Group to stroke survivors and their families. The support group meets every Tuesday from 10:00am to 11:30am at The Medical Center of Aurora. The address is:

The Medical Center of Aurora Meeting Room 11501 S. Potomac St. Aurora, CO 80012

For more information about the stroke support group, please call (303) 695-2836.

Additional Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital campus

To best serve our patients, Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital provides an additional campus for inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative care at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center.

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