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Residential and outpatient neurological rehabilitation for adults recovering from brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and other conditions that affect the nervous system. CARF-accredited care in Hammond, for families from across Louisiana.
Neurorehabilitation is a medically supervised therapy program that helps people regain function after an injury or illness damages the brain, spinal cord or nerves. A team of physical, occupational, speech and cognitive therapists works on movement, self-care, communication, memory and emotional adjustment, with one clear goal: returning home and to community life as independently as possible.
At NeuLife Rehabilitation of Louisiana, rehabilitation for brain injury, spinal cord injury and other challenging diagnoses is our specialty. We are one of the largest residential post-acute rehab programs in the Southeast, and every care plan is built around the person in front of us, their injury, their home and the goals they care about most.
A neurological injury can happen to anyone at any stage of life. Some patients come to us after a sudden accident. Others arrive after a stroke, surgery or illness. Our team is experienced with each of the injury types below, and many patients have more than one.
Injuries from falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults and sports. Learn more about our brain injury rehabilitation program.
Symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, poor concentration or irritability that linger for weeks and interfere with work or home life.
Traumatic injuries and non-traumatic causes such as tumors, infection, cervical stenosis or surgery. See our spinal cord injury rehabilitation page.
Weakness on one side, balance problems, speech and swallowing changes, and difficulty with planning or memory after a stroke.
Brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen, such as after a near-drowning or a heart attack.
Recovery after a ruptured aneurysm, brain tumor treatment or an infection that affects the brain, such as meningitis.
Dual diagnosis: Some patients sustain both a spinal cord injury and a traumatic brain injury in the same accident. For these patients, we offer a highly specialized program that treats the multiple physical, functional and cognitive challenges they face.
General rehab often focuses on one joint, one muscle group or one surgery. Neurological rehabilitation has to account for how the brain and spinal cord control everything else: movement, sensation, speech, swallowing, thinking, mood and behavior. When one of those systems is damaged, the others are usually affected too.
Recovery depends heavily on neuroplasticity, the nervous system's ability to reorganize and form new pathways. Neuroplasticity responds to focused, repeated practice of meaningful tasks. That is why our therapists spend so much time on real activities like walking to the dining room, getting dressed, following a recipe or holding a conversation, instead of isolated exercises alone.
Timing matters as well. We work to provide the earliest possible start to rehabilitation once a patient is medically ready, because progress is often strongest when intensive therapy begins soon after the acute hospital stay.
Finally, a neurological injury rarely affects just the patient. Families face new roles, new equipment and new routines. A true neurorehabilitation program includes them from the start, which is a core part of our mission and values.
Each patient receives a mix of therapies based on their evaluation and goals. Our interdisciplinary team works together to provide integrated care, so every therapist is working toward the same outcomes.
Strength, balance, walking and mobility. Physical therapy builds function using mobility aids and adaptive equipment where needed, so patients can move more safely at home and in the community.
Activities of daily living such as dressing, grooming and cooking, using compensatory strategies and adaptive technologies that support activities at home, at work and in the community.
Communication, language and motor speech recovery. Our speech language pathologists also play a major role in functional cognition work.
Memory, attention, problem solving, planning and self-awareness. Read more about cognitive rehabilitation below.
Support for the psychological and social challenges that often interfere with adjustment after a life-changing injury, with neuropsychologists on the team.
Return-to-work planning and practice, with support for the transition back to work, school or community life.
Medical care and nursing are part of every day, supported by recreational specialists, dietitians, community reintegration specialists and case managers who help coordinate the plan for discharge.
Cognitive changes are often the hardest part of a brain injury or stroke to see and the hardest to live with. A person may walk and talk well but struggle to remember appointments, follow a conversation in a noisy room, manage money or control frustration. These changes can make daily life at home, work or school much harder.
Cognitive rehabilitation works on two tracks. Restorative work strengthens skills directly through structured, graded practice. Compensatory work teaches strategies that work around lasting deficits, such as a memory notebook, phone alarms, written checklists or breaking a large task into smaller steps.
We practice these strategies inside real routines. A patient might plan a grocery list, budget for it, then follow a recipe from start to finish. That kind of practice carries over to home far better than worksheets alone.
Symptoms of a mild brain injury can appear up to a week after the event and are easy to miss. If you notice changes, talk with a physician.
In a residential program, therapy does not stop when a session ends. Patients practice skills throughout the day, with care available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Getting ready in the morning, moving between rooms and preparing a snack all become part of recovery.
We also build therapy around personal interests. For one patient that means relearning to cook a favorite family meal. For another it means return-to-work activities or taking part in recreational and social activities again. These experiences give people a reason to push through hard days, and they rebuild confidence along with function.
Emotional adjustment is one of the most challenging parts of recovery. Individual counseling and small wins that matter to the patient help bring renewed hope to the whole family.
The right level of care depends on medical needs, safety, the severity of the injury and how much support is available at home. Our clinical team helps families decide which option fits.
| Residential (inpatient) | Outpatient | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Patients who no longer need hospital care but still need daily medical oversight and intensive therapy | Patients living safely at home who need continued therapy to keep progressing |
| Support | Care 24 hours a day, seven days a week | Therapy visits while living at home |
| Therapy | A full day of therapy across multiple disciplines | Focused on remaining goals |
| Main focus | Rebuilding core function, safety and independence for the move home | Refining skills, returning to work or school and community life |
Every recovery moves at its own pace, but most patients follow the same general path through our program.
Families, case managers and hospital discharge planners can call us or schedule a tour. We explain the program, answer questions and talk through next steps.
Our team reviews whether residential or outpatient care fits. Residential patients need to be medically stable and able to take part in a full day of therapy.
After admission, the clinical team completes a full evaluation. Together with the patient and family, we set goals that reflect real priorities, like walking to the mailbox or cooking dinner again.
Therapy, nursing and medical care run on a structured daily schedule. The team tracks progress closely and updates the plan as abilities change.
Caregivers are invited to take part in sessions and learn transfers, equipment use, cognitive strategies and warning signs before discharge.
We plan the move home, to work, school or the community, and offer a continuum of care after residential rehab ends so the transition holds.
Length of stay varies with each person's needs. For example, patients in our spinal cord injury program typically stay no less than four weeks, and more than 75% of those patients have been discharged to their home or community.
Our interdisciplinary team brings more than 200 years of combined experience in clinical residential rehabilitation. Clinical leadership and therapy are led by licensed professionals with deep backgrounds in brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke recovery:
You can read their backgrounds on our Our Team page.
NeuLife Rehabilitation of Louisiana is accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, for our Residential Rehabilitation Program and Brain Injury Specialty Program. CARF reviews providers on quality of care and measurable results, and we maintain accreditation through ongoing improvement and patient and family feedback.
We partner with the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana and the United Spinal Association of Louisiana. These relationships help connect patients and families with education and support resources in the brain injury and spinal cord injury communities.
When a loved one is ready to leave the hospital, families often have only days to choose a rehab program. These questions help compare options, whether you are in Hammond, Ponchatoula, Baton Rouge, the Northshore or New Orleans.
Patients come to NeuLife from across Louisiana and the Southeast.
All of our care takes place at one facility on Adams Rd in Hammond, in Tangipahoa Parish. Hammond sits where I-12 and I-55 meet, so the drive is shorter than many families expect, whether they are coming from Baton Rouge, the Northshore or New Orleans.
Families who live within about an hour often continue with outpatient therapy once a residential stay ends. For families farther away, in Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe or Shreveport, residential care with support around the clock usually makes more sense than daily trips. Our admissions team can talk through which option fits.
Typical drive times to Hammond, which vary with traffic:
See every region on our Areas We Serve page, or call 844-393-5433 to ask about a transfer from a hospital near you.
Regular physical therapy usually treats a specific musculoskeletal problem, such as a knee or shoulder. Neurorehabilitation treats the effects of damage to the brain, spinal cord or nerves, which can involve movement, thinking, speech, swallowing and emotions at the same time. It uses a full team of specialists instead of one therapist.
People recovering from traumatic brain injury, concussion with lasting symptoms, stroke, spinal cord injury, anoxic brain injury, aneurysm, brain tumor or brain infection may benefit. For residential care, the patient should be medically stable and able to take part in a full day of therapy.
It depends on the injury, its severity and each person's goals. Some patients need a few weeks of residential care, while others need longer stays followed by outpatient therapy. Patients in our spinal cord injury program typically stay no less than four weeks.
Cognitive rehabilitation helps with memory, attention, problem solving, planning, organization and self-awareness. Therapists rebuild these skills through structured practice and teach practical strategies, like checklists and phone reminders, that make daily life easier at home and at work.
Both. NeuLife Rehabilitation of Louisiana offers residential inpatient care with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as outpatient therapy for patients who can live safely at home. Our clinical team helps determine which level of care fits.
Yes. Education and caregiver involvement are key parts of every treatment plan. Family members are invited to join sessions, learn how to help safely and ask questions, so everyone is prepared for the move home.
Yes. NeuLife is accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, for its Residential Rehabilitation Program and Brain Injury Specialty Program. Details are on our Accreditations page.
Call us at 844-393-5433. Our team will ask about the injury and current medical status, answer your questions and explain next steps. Family members and hospital case managers can both call.
Yes, and we encourage it. A tour lets you see the facility in person and ask our team questions face to face. You can schedule a tour online.
We are located at 41238 Adams Rd, Hammond, LA 70403, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Get directions.
We know that choosing the next step in your recovery from a Brain Injury or Spinal Cord Injury is complex. Together, we can help you take the next step.
Contact us with any questions today.
