Choosing an Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility
When someone is recovering from a spinal cord injury (SCI), they usually need to spend time in rehabilitation to get stronger and increase functional abilities. One of the first big choices you might have to make is picking the right rehabilitation center for yourself or your loved ones. Our studies show that you often have to make this decision really fast, sometimes before you fully understand what an SCI is. Also, your health insurance coverage can be a big part of the decision. It’s really important to try to find a center that has experience helping people with SCI, even if it’s not closer to your home. For more detailed information about what to think about when choosing a rehabilitation facility, you can look at a guide called
“Spinal Cord Injuries: First 90 Days”.
A Model SCI rehabilitation can make sure people with SCI get appropriate rehabilitation. These centers are part of a network of government funded centers in the United States that provide care and do research for people with SCI. There are currently 18 centers that are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
It’s okay if you don’t live close to a Model SCI rehabilitation center! There are still lots of great rehabilitation centers just for spinal cord injuries. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an independent group that checks on health and human services, including rehabilitation services, to make sure they are meeting high standards. Finding a CARF Accredited SCI Rehabilitation Center - United Spinal has a list of CARF - approved center for SCI rehabilitation. United Spinal.
Spinal Cord Injury:
First 90 Days
Sam Maddox
Directory of Model Systems
Model Systems
Knowledge Translation Center
Finding a SCI CARF-accredited facility
United Spinal Injury Association
How to Choose a Rehabilitation Hospital
SCI-INFO-PAGES
A Guide to Inpatient Rehabilitation Services for People With Spinal Cord Injury
Model Systems
Knowledge Translation Center
What to Expect When you Go To Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
When someone with SCI goes to inpatient rehabilitation, they can expect an intensive and comprehensive program to get them stronger and get them ready to go home after leaving hospital. Here’s what they can generally expect:
-
Intensive Therapy: Get ready for several hours of therapy every day, often including physical therapy to help you get stronger, move better, and learn how to use a wheelchair. You’ll also have occupational therapy to practice everyday things like getting dressed, taking a bath, and eating. Sometimes, you might have speech therapy if you have trouble talking or swallowing. All this hard work is meant to help your brain and body heal quickly, so you can do things on your own as soon as possible.
-
Interdisciplinary Team: You will have a whole team of helpers looking after you. This team will include a rehabilitation physician (physiatrist), rehabilitation nurse, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. You’ll also have case managers and social workers, psychologists, and sometimes respiratory therapists and recreational therapists depending on what you need. Everyone works together to make a special care plan just for you.
-
Goal Setting: Setting goals is a big part of rehabilitation. You will work with your team to make short-term goals that you can realistically reach and long-term goals about what you can do, how much you can do on your own, and getting back to your life at home and in your community.
-
Education and Training: A big part of rehabilitation is learning about your spinal cord injury. You’ll learn about things that might happen because of the injury and how to take care of yourself every day. This includes learning how to manage your bladder and bowels, how to keep your skin healthy so it doesn’t get sore, how to take your medicine, and how to use assistive devices and adaptive equipment. Family members and caregivers are often learning with the person with SCI.
-
Psychological and Emotional Support: Having a spinal cord injury is a very big change in life, so getting emotional support is very important in rehabilitation. You can expect to talk to psychologists or counselors to help you deal with mental health concerns like depression or anxiety and to learn how to handle these feelings.
-
Discharge Planning: Right from the start of rehabilitation, the team will begin planning for you to go home. They will work with you and your family to see if your house is set up well for you, get any special equipment you might need, and help you find groups or services in your community to make going home easy.
-
Family Involvement: Family members are often suggested to be a part of therapy, learning, and planning to go home to give the person with SCI support and learn how to help after they leave the rehabilitation center.
The exact details and how long someone stays in acute inpatient rehabilitation will be different for everyone. It depends on how bad the spinal cord injury is, how healthy the person is overall, and how well they do during the program.
Accommodations for Family During Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
Some rehabilitation centers know how important families are when someone is getting better from a spinal cord injury, so they might have accommodations to help families stay close by. For example, some rehabilitation centers might have room on-site for families to stay in, or they might work with hotels nearby to give families cheaper prices. If you want to know what your hospital offers, the best thing to do is call them directly. You can ask their admissions office, social work team, or patient services about available places for families to stay close during the rehabilitation. The center’s website might also have information about how they help families and places to stay nearby.