Methodist Rehabilitation Center - Areas of Expertise

When Methodist Specialty Care Center opened, people used a lot of flattering phrases to describe Mississippi's first long-term care facility designed especially for the younger, severely disabled person. But a place to call home is the description we like best.

The unique accommodations combined with skilled clinical services provides an environment where residents can thrive. Residents at Methodist Specialty Care Center stay active, socialize, learn new things, venture out into the community and enjoy life to the fullest extent possible.

Examples of activities include fishing, shopping, reading, attending sporting events and festivals, web based studies, worship services and dining with friends and family. That makes the center the perfect place for those who are completely reliant on others for their activities of daily living, but don't necessarily fit or desire the traditional nursing home setting.

Our Typical resident is someone age 17 to 55 who is severely disabled and must rely on others for maximum assistance with most activities. Residents generally have additional clinical needs such as bowel and bladder management, skin management, medication management and other complex, but stable clinical requirements.

Examples include those who are quadriplegic due to trauma, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or brain injury; ventilator-dependent patients who are unable to wean and have reached maximum pulmonary rehab potential and are respiratory stable; and permanent tracheostomy patients who need maximum assistance with activities of daily living.

Our Staff

In many health care systems, responding to the needs of severely disabled people is just one job among many. At Methodist Specialty Care Center, it’s our sole focus, making our staff particularly qualified to deliver a high standard of care.

Our physicians, nurses, therapists and support staff possess a wealth of experience and are dedicated to helping residents live life to the fullest. Because the center is a division of Methodist Rehabilitation Center , the staff receives support through a collaborative relationship with the hospital’s outstanding health care team and researchers.

This gives center residents access to knowledge about the latest medical advances in treating disabilities, including long-term experimental drug trials, therapeutic treatments and advanced assistive technology services, as well as biomedical and orthotic and prosthetic services.

Our Facility

Methodist Specialty Care Center features all private rooms and couples state-of the-art medical technology with a warm, inviting and barrier-free environment.

On each floor, three short, carpeted hallways radiate from a central area that houses staff center and large living rooms. This layout helps to eliminate the institutional feel of long hospital-like corridors while maintaining easy access between the staff centers and the residents’ rooms.

Each private room features its own large bathroom and comes furnished with a telephone, television, high-speed Internet access, discreetly concealed medical gases and the latest state-of-the art technology in clinical bed design.

Rooms also can be custom equipped for residents who use voice-activated or breath-controlled devices so that residents may be as independent as possible in their rooms.

Our center is located on Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s beautifully landscaped and wooded 25-acre East Campus in Flowood, a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi.

Flowood is a vibrant community with easy access to restaurants, shopping centers, hospitals, airports, hotels and major sports complexes.

Since our beginnings in 1975, Methodist Rehabilitation Center has been a leader in rehabilitation research and providing services to people with neurological and orthopedic illnesses and injuries.

Methodist is the first hospital in the state to be named one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. And we’re one of only 16 hospitals in the country designated as a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Our goal at Methodist Specialty Care Center is to continue our proud tradition by providing a caring environment that enriches the health and well-being of residents and their families and respects the unique contributions of each individual.

Residents are encouraged to strive for the highest level of independence possible, and every effort is made to fulfill their clinical, social and spiritual needs.

For More Information

We are currently accepting new applications for residency. Occupancy rates at Methodist Specialty Care Center are high, so once approved, a new applicant may be placed on a waiting list. Because of the unique nature of our facility, our staff fields questions from potential residents and their families from all across the South. Our Web site, methodistspecialtycare.org, features information about our residents, staff, facilities and mission and includes photographs, maps and a brochure. To speak to a representative or to set up a tour, call 601-420-7760.

»	What kind of facility is Methodist Specialty Care Center?

Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood, Mississippi is a 60-bed facility that provides long-term specialized care for severely disabled patients whose medical needs are too complex for traditional nursing homes.

»	What kind of clinical care is provided to residents?

Our nurse-to-patient ratio is much lower than traditional nursing homes, with each nursing station caring for 30 residents, rather than the usual 60. Clinical services include:

Daily physician oversight
Registered nurses
Supervised drug administration
Respiratory therapy
Physical therapy
Therapeutic recreation program
Clinical trials supported
Support from biomedical engineers
Assistive technology specialists

»	Is there anything special about the design of the building?

To make Methodist Specialty Care Center look more like a home than an institution, the building’s design features short, carpeted passageways, rather than hospital-like corridors. This design reduces the distance between the nurses stations and the residents rooms. Facility highlights include:

Large common areas on both resident floors
Private rooms with private bathrooms
Sixty private rooms
State-of-the-art beds
Environmental control units customized for each resident
Telephones, televisions and internet access in each room
Indoor and outdoor dining areas
Attractive dining room overlooking rose-covered courtyard
Full-service laundry
Security 24 hours a day
Large landscaped, accessible campus
Building overlooks Mirror Lake
Convenient parking for visitors

»	What are typical residents like?

The center serves people who have severe brain or spinal cord injuries and need around-the-clock care. Typical residents are younger than traditional nursing home patients. Residents generally have additional clinical needs such as bowel and bladder management, skin management, medication management and other complex, but stable clinical requirements.

Examples include people who are quadriplegics due to trauma, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or traumatic brain injury; ventilator-dependent patients who are unable to wean and have reached maximum pulmonary rehab potential and are respiratory stable; and permanent tracheostomy patients who need maximum assistance with activities of daily living.

»	Do residents participate in social activities?

Yes. Our residents stay active, both inside and outside of Methodist Specialty Care Center. Some of the activities they participate in include:

Sporting events
Family and friends
Resident social functions
Worship services available
Web-based education
Special van for transportation
College classes and social outings
Convenient to restaurants and shopping