Brain Injury

Why Mary Free Bed at Covenant? 

Rehabilitation is a vital part of recovery after a brain injury. Research shows patients with brain injuries experience better outcomes the sooner rehabilitation begins.  

Care for a lifetime 

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare provides a full spectrum of care to support your recovery for as long as you need us, including outpatient medical care and other resources. 

Specialty accreditation 

Our inpatient program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International (CARF). This voluntary but rigorous accreditation process is based on specific standards ensuring the highest-quality rehabilitation for people with brain injuries.  

Your Experience

We’ll help you or your loved one regain as much independence as possible and find ways to successfully work around challenges.

Our experts are familiar with the various forms of functional loss that affect patients with an injury to the brain, and we provide rehabilitative care in a calming environment. We’ll support you and your loved ones during days that may seem daunting at times, and we’ll celebrate and build on your successes.

Therapy

The duration and intensity of your therapy will depend on your individual needs and tolerance, but patients typically participate in at least three hours of therapy five days a week. Research shows the sooner you begin rehabilitation at an appropriate level of intensity, the better your outcome will be. 

Therapy gyms, including one with a low-stimulation environment, provide specialized spaces to improve strength and fine motor skills. We also have private treatment spaces to meet your individual needs.

Our team will also assist with coordinating activities and/or therapy to allow you to integrate back into the community safely and enjoyably.

Technology

Our experts have access to innovative rehabilitation technology and tools to support your recovery. An extensive system of ceiling-mounted technology, including ZeroG and Tollos, helps you safely practice standing and walking if balance is an issue. We also offer Bioness BITS therapy to help increase strength and function in your arms and legs. 

A simulated home space provides an area to practice daily living skills, such as cooking, laundry and cleaning. 

Support

We encourage loved ones to participate in your therapy sessions. Your family is part of your team, too! After all, they’ll be helping you be as independent as possible. 

In the evenings, you can relax in your private room or visit with family, friends and other patients in one of our social areas or outdoor green spaces.

Our Patient + Family Amenities page, offers helpful information, including comfortable and affordable lodging if you live outside the Great Lakes Bay Region. 

Your Team

Depending on your needs, your team may include clinicians from several disciplines or a few, such as:

• Board-certified rehabilitation physicians, hand-selected for you and your condition(s).
• Registered nurses with rehabilitation and wound care certification, as well as nursing care assistants. 
• Occupational therapists to help you resume independence with daily activities, such as brushing your teeth, getting dressed, doing laundry and grocery shopping.
• Physical therapists to help you resume independence with walking, transferring and mobility.
• Psychologists focus on your emotional well-being, which is just as important as your physical condition.
• Registered dietitians to evaluate your nutritional needs and monitor your food intake.
• Speech-language pathologists to help you, if necessary, with eating, swallowing, speaking, breathing, thinking and more. 
• Recreational therapists to help you get back to doing things you enjoy or introduce you to new leisure activities.
• A care manager who partners with you and your caregivers to help you adjust to your injury and prepare to return home. 

Contact Us

For program questions and referral information, call 989.583.2729.
To refer a patient, click here.

Outpatient Experience

Whether you’re in the recovery phase of a concussion or seeking ongoing care after a traumatic brain injury, Mary Free Bed at Covenant provides a full spectrum of care.

Our Brain Injury program offers a range of therapy services, technology and treatment, whether you’re a graduate of our inpatient rehabilitation program or you were referred by a physician for outpatient treatment. A thorough evaluation allows us to create a therapy plan to best meet your needs. The length of treatment can vary from a few sessions to several months.

We offer individual treatment spaces, a therapy gym and a simulated apartment where you can practice daily living skills, such as cooking, laundry and cleaning.

Services we offer to complement your care may include:

• Biofeedback
• Driver rehabilitation
• Equipment clinic
• Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics
• Return to Work program
• Swallow studies
• Vision therapy
• Voice rehabilitation

Post-Concussion

A concussion is a brain injury that requires prompt, specialized medical attention. The sooner you receive rehabilitation therapy, the better the potential outcome. Our Post-Concussion program offers outpatient care to help you get back to your previous level of independence in all areas of your life, including school, work, recreational activities and in the community.

Our services may be appropriate if you’re experienced lingering changes in your emotions, behavior, thought processes and/or movement after a concussion caused by such things as a:

• Fall
• Car accident
• Sports-related injury
• Workplace accident
• Recreational accident
• Any other incident resulting in mild head trauma.

Your initial assessment is conducted by a physiatrist (a physician specializing in rehabilitation), who will use this information to create your individualized treatment plan.

Your treatment team coordinates to recommend services and therapies best suited to your injury, needs and goals. Treatment may include physical, occupational and/or speech therapy. If returning to work is a concern, we may coordinate consultations with a vocational expert.

If your injury occurred during a sports or recreational activity, you may be recommended for a specialized sports concussion evaluation.

Education is important in how we treat post-concussion syndrome. Concussion often results in subtle disability, which can be difficult to define or understand. Our team focuses on education to help you acknowledge challenges, identify specific rehabilitation needs and understand recovery patterns. We are also happy to offer education to your family, athletic trainers, coaches, teachers and employers.

Treatment for concussions is offered at several outpatient locations.

Make an appointment

Call 989.583.6386.
Clinician’s office? Refer a patient.