Did you ask for Rehabilitation Services?
Your Treatment Might Never Be Complete Without It!
Rehabilitation is an essential part of good quality healthcare and a well-established specialty in developed countries. You might fail to attain the maximum recovery possible if you are not utilising the rehabilitation services early enough.
What Is Rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary team approach which helps the patient attain the maximum possible recovery and lead a normal or near normal life.
Who Needs Rehabilitation?
You might need rehab while recovering from a major illness, injury or surgery. You will be a rehab candidate if you are not able to reach your pre-illness functional stage after discharge. It might help you get back to your work or education. In case of severe injuries, it might help to prevent complications, maximise recovery, reduce carer burden and prevent re-admissions.
When to Start Rehabilitation?
It can be started as soon as the condition is diagnosed and can continue alongside other services while you are still in the hospital or even in the ICU.
What Is the Process?
Once you are referred for rehabilitation services, you would get assessed and triaged by a rehabilitation physician. Depending on your requirement, you will be suggested inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation.
Patients and families are encouraged to set realistic goals, and an approximate time duration to achieve these goals would be discussed. You would also get to know more about the nature of your illness and possible outcome.
The rehabilitation team including rehabilitation physician, rehabilitation nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and dietician would start working in co-ordination to achieve your goals.
Is It Cost-Effective?
Evidence says that early initiation of rehabilitation has cost-saving advantages for individuals as well as the society. It helps to bring down the duration of hospital stay (by about 1 month in severe injuries) and prevents expensive readmissions. Rehabilitation helps people to live without the need for caretakers, allows people to pursue their educational interests, get jobs and to be independent.
Unmet Global Needs for Rehabilitation
As per WHO, the majority of the population in developing and moderate-income countries do not avail rehabilitation services mostly due to lack of awareness or lack of access to services.
Make sure you utilise the evidence-based rehabilitation services provided by Kauvery Hospital.
Dr. Lakshmi Nair
Consultant – Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Kauvery Hospital Chennai