Overview of Rehabilitation
The Rehabilitation process is carried out by a multidisciplinary team aiming to deliver a tailored and holistic treatment program to help optimize your level of function and independence. Active and ongoing collaboration between the team and their patients, as well as their carers and families, promotes a supportive, outcomes-oriented rehabilitation experience and tailors outcomes to your needs.
Main Team Specialists
- Specialist Physicians in Geriatric Medicine
- Your referring Surgeon or Physician
- Specialist Rehabilitation nursing staff
- Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy assistants
- Occupational therapists
- Speech pathologists
Programmed monitoring and case conferencing ensures your individual program achieves your goals as planned with the treatment team toward maximizing your return to the necessary level of function required to return home.
Occupational therapists (OTs) help you to master strategies to manage your personal care needs as independently as possible. This may include prescription and education in the use of aids or devices to adapt to temporary or long term deficits. Our OTs also conduct falls prevention and awareness programs, stress management programs, and often conduct a pre-discharge Home Evaluation, often with a home visit by the therapists with you prior to discharge from the rehabilitation unit.
The Speech Pathologist will diagnose and manage problems that might cause difficulty with swallowing and many language issues that might need to be addressed.
Our dieticians will assist those who may have special dietary needs or require improved nutrition in order to optimise their recovery and ongoing wellness. They can also offer weight gain or loss education and advice including prescription of specific diets and supplements as indicated.
Discharge planning is critical to your rehabilitation success and is designed to assist access to the equipment and supports required to ensure your recovery continues long after you leave our care. This is assisted by the hospital Discharge/Care Coordinators, and often involves community nursing and allied health, as well as requesting ongoing support through your health fund and MyAgedCare.gov.au website as required.
Other Team Members
- Podiatrist
- Diabetes Educator
- Social Worker
- Pharmacist for medication evaluation and optimization
- Specialist Wound Care nurses
- Specialist Continence Care nurses
- Transition to our outpatient program
What To Bring To Rehabilitation
When you come to the rehabilitation unit, we would like you to bring a few things to help you feel more like a person and less like a patient. Our suggestions include:
Details Of Team Member Roles
The doctor initially treating you in hospital will refer you for an assessment by one of our Geriatric Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialists to determine your need for rehabilitation, your program and goals, and the appropriate timing of your transfer to the Rehabilitation Unit. Your specialist has the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating your medical care and rehabilitation program and will liaise with your surgeon, physician, general practitioner and other specialists as required to ensure effective continuity of medical care and follow up after discharge from hospital.
The physiotherapist will assist you by designing an exercise program and work with you to improve your balance, strength, movement, flexibility, endurance, mobility and review any mobility equipment and aids if required. The physiotherapists will also design a home exercise program for continued functional improvements after discharge toward complete recovery.
Occupational therapists will assist you in improving your functional ability with important activities of daily living integral to your independence. Occupational therapists can assist you with the selection of equipment to help you maintain your function and independence and increase your safety within the home.
The rehabilitation ward nurses assist you with your basic function and treatment including pain management, hygiene and self care and preservation of your dignity. The nursing staff also assist with your comfort and making sure you are ready for your therapies.
The allied health assistant coordinates, supervises and assists with individual and group therapy sessions.
If your medical condition has contributed to swallowing and /or communication difficulties you may be referred to a speech pathologist for assessment and management of your swallowing and /or communication function.
Surgical and medical problems may impact on, and be impacted on by, your nutritional state. Recovery often requires appropriate nutritional optimisation. If there are concerns regarding your nutritional health, you may be referred to the Dietitians. The dietician can assist with assessing your nutritional status and requirements, and work toward improving your recovery through diet optimization whilst in hospital and after discharge. This can include weight management and special diets such as for those with diabetes.