Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of exercise, education, and support for patients and family of those with breathing problems. This comprehensive program is designed to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic lung disease. The components of the program include assessment, patient training, breathing retraining, exercise, psychosocial intervention and follow-up. Program goals include:
• Controlling symptoms and complications of respiratory impairment.
• Improving overall quality of life.
• Avoiding long-term convalescence.
• Promoting independence and ability to perform daily activities.
• Reducing the need for hospitalization and emergency room visits.
Patients are referred to the program by their physician and remain under their physician’s supervision throughout the rehabilitation and maintenance program. Pulmonary Rehab staff will be happy to verify your insurance for cardiac and pulmonary rehab coverage.
What to Expect
We provide a healthy, positive atmosphere focusing on reducing heart risk factors increasing exercise tolerance and encouraging lifestyle changes. We will develop an exercise program specifically for you, and we will monitor you every minute you are exercising. We will teach you to use a wide variety of exercise equipment including treadmills, stationary bikes, Airdyne bikes, an arm ergometer and recumbent stepper (Nu-Step). In addition to using the equipment, your exercise sessions will always include a warm-up, stretching, light resistance exercises using dumbbells and elastic tubing, and a cool-down. You will also learn how to measure your exercise exertion using the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale.
Exercise is individualized based on the patient’s baseline ability, heart rate, and oxygen saturation. Oxygen is provided, if needed, to keep SaO2 (percentage of available hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen; arterial oxygen saturation) within the parameters requested by the referring physician. A target heart rate is set, as well, by our exercise physiologist.
Education on the following subjects occurs one hour each Wednesday after exercise is completed:
• Stress reduction and control of anxiety
• Anatomy and Physiology of lungs and how to breathe properly
• Prevention and Wellness (includes chest physiotherapy, percussion, and postural drainage)
• Nutrition
• Let’s Keep Moving and Conserving Energy
• Pulmonary Medications
• Home Exercise
The above classes are given by the exercise physiologists, a pharmacist, a dietitian, or a respiratory therapist. On the last Wednesday of each month we have a support group for patients and family or friends.
Again, our ultimate goal is to help the patient improve his/her quality of life and give them the knowledge to help them stay as healthy as possible.
Collaboration with The Wellness Center
Pulmonary Rehab participants have the opportunity to continue exercising at The Wellness Center at DeKalb Medical upon graduation from Cardiac or Pulmonary Rehab. A graduation gift from the staff includes a gift certificate for membership to The Wellness Center.
Contact Cardiac Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at DeKalb Medical (formerly known jointly as the Heart Wellness Center):
Mike Sisson M.Ed., Exercise Physiologist and Program Manager
404.501.7158, Fax 404.501.7689
mike.sisson@dekalbmedical.org
Emily Van Der Sluys, Exercise Physiologist
404.501.5507
emilyvandersluys@dekalbmedical.org
The staff will be happy to verify your insurance for cardiac and pulmonary rehab coverage.
Useful Links
For more about the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), go to www.AACVPR.org.
For more about the American Lung Association, go to www.lungusa.org.
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