SPOKANE, Wash. — Patients at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Center are getting road-ready with a new driving simulator.
St. Luke’s works with patients recovering from accidents, strokes and other medical conditions that affect their mobility.
Many of the patients are in physical therapy to help regain independence and get back to their day-to-day activities.
Stephanie Coffman had a stroke a few weeks ago and was just recently released from the hospital.
She is working with physicians and therapists at St. Luke’s to recover.
“I plan on hopefully going back to work as soon as possible, even if I go back a little at a time, I’m really anxious to get back to work,” said Coffman.
Part of her therapy includes using the center’s new driving simulator to help her prepare to drive again.
“I don’t know if ‘normal’ will ever be ‘normal’ again, but driving is a huge part of my life. I have a young daughter, and I am a part of her ‘taxi service,’ so driving is a huge part of our life,’ she said.
Staff at the hospital said having a simulator that reflects real-life driving scenarios helps motivate patients more than traditional tests for hand-eye coordinator and reaction times.
“Patients tend to buy in a little more t our recommendations of whether it’s safe to return to driving [with the simulator] than if we just did some pen and paper tests and said ‘I don’t think you’re safe to drive,'” said occupational therapist Jennifer Schlich.
St. Luke’s also has other equipment and activities that patients use in physical therapy that reflect real-life activities, like a bus, part of a plane, a grocery story and a restaurant.
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