Photo Provided Physical therapist Dr. Hugo Andreini III, right, works with Anna Theiss, one of the first to take advantage Good Shepherd’s outpatient therapy program.

WHEELING — Good Shepherd Nursing Home now offers outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy, Administrator Donald R. Kirsch announced. The West Virginia Health Care Authority recently authorized a certificate of need to permit Good Shepherd to expand its therapy program to non-residents of all ages.

The success of its therapy program for short-term skilled care patients and for long-term residents led Good Shepherd to introduce the new outpatient program, Kirsch said.

“Therapy helps our long-term residents experience enhanced health, and our short-term skilled care patients recover and return home,” he said. “We’re pleased that we can now offer it to others in our community.”

Many skilled care patients who came to Good Shepherd for a few weeks or months to recover after surgery or illness had asked to continue their therapy at Good Shepherd after their discharge.

“Now we are able to offer a seamless recovery process,” Kirsch said. “Even after they return home, recovering patients can continue working with their therapists on an outpatient basis.”

Therapy at Good Shepherd is provided by Absolute Rehabilitation and Consulting of Ohio. Absolute employs an interdisciplinary approach with the goal of returning patients to their highest levels of functioning to support an excellent quality of life.

“Therapy helps our residents maintain their independence and address specific health needs,” Kirsch said. “Absolute’s philosophy and its resident-driven mission are in total conformity with the philosophy and mission of Good Shepherd.”

Absolute Rehabilitation has a long history of serving the needs of adults that experience an acute medical problem or suffer from a chronic condition. Some of the unique characteristics of Absolute Rehabilitation include a focus on customer service, low staff turnover rates and high employee satisfaction, and education allowance that enable staff to stay abreast of new research and evidence-based practices. The company uses advanced software that tracks clinical outcomes and state-of-the-art information and financial systems.

Good Shepherd Nursing Home is part of a continuum of senior living options offered by the nonprofit Welty Corporation to deliver the features that discerning seniors need and want. In addition to Good Shepherd, the Welty Corporation operates the Welty Home, which offers assisted living for seniors, and Welty Apartments, Braddock Apartments, and Welty TownHomes, properties designed for people who want to live independently but appreciate the added measures of comfort and security of apartment living. For information visit www.weltyhome.org.

Good Shepherd Nursing Home’s Outpatient Therapy hours of operation are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Most major insurances are accepted. To make an appointment for physical, occupational or speech therapy at Good Shepherd, call 304-242-1093.