Navigating SCI
People with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their support persons often have to move between different kinds of hospitals and care places. For example, right after an accident, someone with SCI might go to: emergency department, intensive care unit, acute inpatient rehabilitation center, skilled nursing facility, or long term acute care hospital. Sometimes, a person might even go back and forth between some of these places because of their health changes or need for different kinds of care.
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A Word About Transitions
Getting medical help and therapy after a spinal cord injury (SCI) can be complex. It’s important that all the hospitals and care places talk to each other as someone moves from one place to another, but sometimes, things get missed along the way. It’s important to know that usually, the only people who know everything that’s going on are the person with SCI and their support person. Because of this, you need to be ready to ask questions and check on things when you move to a new care place. Ask questions about who will be following up on what, how should things work here, and what’s the best way to make smooth transitions. It’s important for people with SCI and their families not to just assume that everyone knows everything. Be ready to check on instructions and ask questions if something doesn’t seem right.