Inpatient Rehabilitation Services – Treatments and Services

Art therapy uses art’s creative and expressive foundation to help support a child's social, emotional, developmental, psychological and physical needs. The treatment includes active artmaking and exploring the creative process using applied psychological therapy. This creative outlet helps children cope with their health challenges by providing a safe, developmentally appropriate manner to express themselves.

The rehabilitation nurses at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital have advanced training and expertise to help children with disabilities and chronic health issues. Their compassionate support helps children and adolescents attain, maintain, and improve their function and mobility.

Our resident clown, Lotsy Dotsy, uses entertainment, humor and entertaining activities to provide children with health issues a welcome distraction from their illness. Humor therapy uses the power of smiles and laughter to reduce the stress, fear, anger and anxiety that often accompany treatment.

Music therapy uses rhythm, beat and melody to help children reach their treatment goals, including emotional expression, coping, pain and anxiety management, and developmental growth. Care includes instrumental instruction, songwriting, music-assisted relaxation and bereavement support.

Occupational therapy helps children maximize their independence with activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, dressing and grooming. Maximizing success in everyday activities is addressed with adaptive equipment, motor coordination and hand skills.

Orthotics are special shoes or inserts available by prescription and custom-made to match the needs of your child’s foot shape. Doctors use orthotics to treat foot pain caused by abnormal foot contours and movement. Prosthetics replace a missing limb or portion of a limb. They can help children regain their independence after amputation and improve their quality of life.

Pain management addresses chronic pain that remains despite treatment and time. It ranges from physical therapy and guided exercise to medication, counseling and interventional procedures. Pain management techniques may be necessary to care for severe burns and injuries, headaches, sports injuries or cancer.

One of the most beloved members of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital team is Freedom, our friendly facility dog, the mainstay of our pet therapy program. Pet therapy uses specially trained dogs or other animals to help children manage their health conditions. You can request a visit from Freedom by calling the BARK line at 954-265-BARK.

Physical therapy helps children improve their independence with mobility and play skills at home, school and in the community. Mobility includes walking impairments, special equipment needs, balance and coordination skills, and bracing needs for walking and positioning.

Respiratory therapy helps children with breathing issues, such as underdeveloped lungs, asthma and bronchitis. Treatment focuses on improving lung capacity and increasing the volume and flow of oxygen.

Speech-language therapy helps children who have difficulty communicating or with feeding and swallowing. Communication skills include understanding, speaking, attention, problem solving, memory and thinking skills. Speech-language therapy teaches the child strategies to address communication and feeding/swallowing deficits.

The Child Life team at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital helps children and their families manage the stress and uncertainty of illness, trauma, disability and loss. Our specialists use age-appropriate techniques, such as therapeutic play, distraction and preparation to reduce the impact illness has on our patients’ daily lives.

Exercise physiology uses personalized exercise programs and techniques to help improve flexibility, increase function and movement, and reduce pain. Our team provides strength and endurance training, as well as evidence-based cardiac (heart) and pulmonary (lung) rehabilitation care.

Neuropsychology focuses on how a child’s brain development affects their behavior and learning. Neuropsychologists have advanced expertise and specialized training in both clinical psychology and neuropsychology. They use their training to help children with brain disorders improve their quality of life.

Nutrition services at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital help improve the nutrition and diet of children with a variety of feeding and dietary needs. Our team of nutrition specialists offers personalized, hands-on support to develop good habits and overcome barriers to healthy eating.

Our inpatient rehabilitation services offer an on-site teacher for hospitalized school-age children and adolescents. A full-time, certified Broward County school teacher works with each child to ensure their education continues with minimal interruptions during their hospital stay.

Social services help children and their families understand and adapt to their diagnosis and treatment. Social workers and case managers offer assistance as you manage the activities of daily life. Our team also provides information about community resources that offer needed social services.