SOUTH POINT — The Heartland of Riverview staff has high hopes for its new rehabilitation center, a 2,000-square-foot addition it recently unveiled.

Cathy Chapman, admissions coordinator, said the center has been in the works for about a year. As the population grows older and more seniors are in need of care, she said the rehab center will be a vital part of skilled nursing centers such as Heartland.

The rehab center is for patients who live at the facility permanently and need services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as pain management, treatment of stroke-related paralyzation and wound care. She said the rehab center will also benefit short-term residents who need to recover from injuries such as hip and knee replacement or strokes. The center hopes to further expand its services in the future to reach even more people, Chapman said.

Kristy Wolfe, Heartland director of rehab, said the new center has expanded treatment options, but will have even more benefits for those who come to Heartland, a 100-bed facility with about 40 patients in need of therapy services.

“It really has opened up a lot more opportunities. This is a bright, cheery place that they can look forward to coming to,” said Wolfe, one of 10 rehab center employees.

There is a large therapy gym, a kitchen for occupational therapy, a training bathroom, among other amenities, she said. Right now, all of these services are crammed into a much smaller room inside Heartland.

“All of this is designed to teach independent living skills,” Wolfe said. “It is also really good for socialization skills. They like to come in here and they enjoy being around other people that are going through the same things.”

Patients are already benefiting from the larger space, even though the center has only been in operation for a few short weeks. So far, it has been given rave reviews, according to Wolfe.

“They (patients) are just thrilled,” she said. “The first day, they just loved it.”

Chapman said the work that the rehab center does, especially with its short-term patients, is very rewarding.

“It’s a blessing to see people who cannot walk when they first come in and then they can walk out of here when they leave,” Chapman said.

She said treatment options have progressed so much that some people are able to go home after receiving an extensive, wide-ranging therapies, unlike in the past when going home wasn’t an option for them.

The official ribbon cutting for the rehab center will be at 3 p.m. today, followed by a reception for local dignitaries until 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be tours, prizes, entertainment and food.