THE RECONDITIONING AND REHABILITATING PROGRAM IN ARMY HOSPITALS
WALTER E. BARTON 1
1 Medical Corps Army of the United States
Out of the renewed interest in the convalescent hospital patient brought about by the necessities of war, it may be anticipated that increased attention will be given in civilian practice after the war to reconditioning. The reconditioning program begins at the moment convalescence begins while the patient is still in bed. A planned program of physical fitness training, of educational reconditioning and of recreation has been instituted in all army hospitals. An occupational therapy program stressing masculine interests, new activities and useful work has been developed and coordinated with physical therapy and remedial exercise under medical supervision. Patients are removed from the overprotecting sympathy and sickbed atmosphere of the hospital as soon as possible and segregated in a Reconditioning Unit to continue their convalescence. Progressive physical training, education and recreation are planned to direct attention from disability and illness to healthy activities that promote physical and mental fitness.
Rehabilitation, which has as its objective the retraining of individuals to overcome the handicaps of disabilities, the development of self reliance and social adjustment and placement in useful work assignment, is largely the responsibility of other government agencies. The medical department of the Army can undertake the beginnings of such rehabilitation simultaneously with medical and surgical treatments. Rehabilitation programs of the blind, the deafened and the amputee were briefly presented.
