{"id":8149,"date":"2024-08-09T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8149"},"modified":"2024-08-09T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T14:30:00","slug":"reimagining-rehabilitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8149","title":{"rendered":"Reimagining rehabilitation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-08-09T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the Ralph H. Johnson VA\u2019s<\/a> innovative approach to rehabilitation is Vinny Costagliola, a dedicated certified therapeutic recreation specialist and certified personal trainer.<\/p>\n

His unique background and commitment to enhancing Veterans\u2019 quality of life through recreation therapy are making significant strides in its rehabilitation and overall well-being.<\/p>\n

Costagliola brings over eight years of experience to his role and has worked with a diverse range of clients\u2014from pre-adolescents to geriatrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His journey into recreation therapy was driven by a passion for helping people reintegrate into the community, enhancing their leisure education skills and solving the unique challenges posed by their varying access to resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy finding ways to adapt certain activities to meet their needs,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

His work involves a meticulous process of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to tailor recreational activities that foster physical health, recovery and well-being. \u201cThis helps the trainer and Veteran to create realistic goals to ensure we set up the Veteran for the best chance of success,\u201d he said, of his process.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe create a treatment plan to help them achieve their goals.\u201d\u00a0<\/h2>\n

A typical day for Costagliola is conducting initial assessments to planning individualized treatment sessions. He ensures each Veteran\u2019s needs and goals are met with the utmost care and professionalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the assessment, we talk about what they want to accomplish from treatment. We create a treatment plan for short and long-term goals to help them achieve their goals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The significance of recreation therapy in Veterans\u2019 rehabilitation cannot be overstated. It offers a path to restore, remediate and rehabilitate their level of functioning, promoting health and wellness while reducing the activity limitations caused by illnesses or disabling conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven on my worst pain days, he somehow motivates me to keep moving,\u201d said Army Sergeant Major Gareth Hilton. \u201cHis activities are tailored to what I can handle but still make me feel like I\u2019m actively improving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Costagliola\u2019s work alongside his colleagues spans various settings within the healthcare system, ensuring even homebound Veterans or those with limited access to transportation can benefit from these services.<\/p>\n

Teaches Whole Health class<\/h2>\n

Veterans have felt the impact of Costagliola\u2019s work firsthand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His dedication extends beyond individual sessions. He also teaches a Whole Health intro class, emphasizing the importance of empowering Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being. <\/p>\n

On Whole Health, he said that \u201cIt will give the Veterans the proper knowledge and understanding for them to take the best course of action for their treatment. I\u2019ve seen a difference in the Veterans that I am currently working with. Quality of life for Veterans has improved because they trust the process and have realized that adapting their leisure activities brings them more enjoyment to their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through Costagliola and his colleague\u2019s expertise and compassion, recreation therapy at Ralph H. Johnson VA is not just an intervention\u2014but a transformation, enabling Veterans to reclaim their independence, engage with their communities and achieve a higher quality of life.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vinny Costagliola is driven to helping Veterans with their rehabilitation and solving challenges posed by access to resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care","category-prosthetics-rehabilitation"],"yoast_head":"\nReimagining rehabilitation - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vinny Costagliola is driven to helping Veterans with their rehabilitation and solving challenges posed by access to resources.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8149\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reimagining rehabilitation - 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