Stroke

Rehabilitation is essential following a  Stroke (cerebral vascular accident)

Your participation in an intensive rehabilitation program will assist with achieving the following:

• Return of lost skills or which have been affected by the stroke, for example walking, eating or speaking.
• The acquisition of new skills to help you cope with any longer term changes due to the stroke. Such changes could be physical (eg. leg weakness), psychological (eg. the way you think, feel or respond to things) or social (eg. activities you enjoyed doing or the way you interact with friends or family).
• The ability to readjust to life after you leave hospital by providing social, emotional and practical support.
• The education of family and carers to provide optimal care in order to cater for your physical and cognitive needs during your recovery/ rehabilitation process.

Rehabilitation is specific to your problems. Plans and goals will be made with you to help with your particular problems. Although there are common symptoms and physical and cognitive deficits that are regularly encountered with a stroke, each patient’s deficits are individualised with regard to their severity and therefore require an individualised one on one program.

It is important that rehabilitation begins as soon as possible after a stroke. When you practice activities over and over again, your body learns to do things differently, helping you to recover.

It is vital that you put the most effort you can into rehabilitation to increase your chance of a better recovery. Rehabilitation should also be viewed as something you do all the time – 24 hours a day (even getting out of bed at night to go to the toilet is part of the process).

A team of rehabilitation professionals will work with you and your family to help you. Your attitude and involvement as well as that of your family and friends play an important part in the recovery.

(Please also visit our Equipment / Products page under ‘Resources’ for further information on products we have available that may help with this condition)

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy represents a leading cause of childhood physical disability affecting function and development. This disorder affects the development of movement and posture that is believed to arise from non-progressive disturbances in the developing fetal or infant brain. In addition to the typically observed deficits in motor control that negatively affect fluent movement, individuals with cerebral palsy often experience epilepsy, secondary musculoskeletal problems (including contractures), disturbances of sensation, cognition, perception, communication, and behavior.

The typical person with Cerebral Palsy will develop a strong relationship with their physiotherapist as a result of the many ongoing treatment interventions and equipment prescription that is usually required for this population. Developmental rehabilitation is required to ensure that all achievable physical milestones are gained throughout the developmental years of ones life.

Furthermore, maintenance therapy is also essential to ensure the absence of physical regression and subsequent loss of the ability to complete as many personal care and “activities of daily living” needs as possible.

Prescription of complex manual and power wheelchair seating systems may be required, in addition to splints, pressure care, walking systems and anti tone/ spasticity products and devices.

To achieve maximal quality of life and physical capacity, expert physiotherapy intervention is highly recommended.

(Please also visit our Equipment / Products page under ‘Resources’ for further information on products we have available that may help with this condition)

Spinal Injury

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is perhaps the most devastating orthopedic injury and with prolonged survival being the rule, rehabilitation of these injuries has an essential role. The primary goals of rehabilitation are the prevention of secondary complications, maximisation of physical functioning and reintegration into the community.

It is important that the effects of de-conditioning accumulated subsequent from many months of lying immobilised in a hospital bed be reversed. Upon reversing these effects, positive steps forward can be achieved with regard to maximising functional potential, particularly for those patients who have experienced an incomplete injury. Peak functional capacity is required if one is to be capable of accessing and moving around their living environment whilst being able to attend to as many daily personal care tasks as possible; thus minimising the need for external assistance from carers and family members.

With the advancement in technology and more importantly “stem cell” research, it is imperative that a person experiencing a spinal cord injury is maintained absent of comorbidities or complications that may inhibit the accessibility and effectiveness of ground breaking advancements in the coming years. Comorbidities such as contractures, pressure sores and muscle wastage are examples of factors that may inhibit future treatment success.

Upon achieving maximium functional ability, “maintenance therapy” is an ongoing necessity that will prevent the negative decline in general health and physical function as the years progress. Rehabilitation At Home will provide you with a Physiotherapist that has extensive experience with this patient population group to ensure optimal treatment outcomes are achieved.

(Please also visit our Equipment / Products page under ‘Resources’ for further information on products we have available that may help with this condition)

Acquired Brain Injury

Acquired brain injury – or “ABI” – refers to any damage to the brain that occurs after birth. That damage can be caused by an accident or trauma, by a stroke, a brain infection, by alcohol or other drugs or by diseases of the brain

Rehabilitation from brain injury occurs via a “bottom up” approach whereby the brain is stimulated via specific rehabilitation techniques and activities designed to increased the effects of “plasticity”. This term refers to the brain’s ability for one part of the brain to take over another area’s functional role that has been damaged by injury.

Brain injury recovery will vary from person to person and is influenced by the severity and location of the injury. More importantly, recovery of brain injury is often affected by a lack of intense, ongoing and expert implementation of rehabilitation therapy. A thorough neurological assessment is capable of revealing one’s potential of recovery and should be conducted to enable realistic goals and treatment programs to be developed and implemented. Significant gains can be achieved in many cases with appropriate and professional therapy and advice. It is essential that therapy goals are functional and designed to maximise the patient’s functional capacity, ability to care for themself and engage an increased quality of life.

Rehabilitation At Home will guide you through your journey of recovery and ensure that your absolute physical potential is achieved.

(Please also visit our Equipment / Products page under ‘Resources’ for further information on products we have available that may help with this condition)

Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral Neuropathy is a condition where there is damage to the peripheral nervous system. This system includes the vast communications network of neural tissue that transmits information from the brain and spinal cord to every other part of the body.

Unfortunately when this system is compromised due to pathology, the result is usually a loss of motor control, unusual sensations of the skin and most commonly mild to severe pain.

Rehabilitation treatment is designed to assist with minimising and or reversing the negative effects of the condition via techniques and activities developed from years of scientific research.

Professional and expert education and treatment is important to ensure that the condition has least impact on one’s ability to participate in normal daily life activities and functional activity.

Rehabilitation At Home will assist you in successfully managing your Peripheral Neuropathy.

Neurodegenerative Conditions

Degenerative nerve diseases lead to a decline in many physical functions, including balance, movement, talking, breathing and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic, which means they run in families or have a genetic mutation.

Rehabilitation and Maintenance therapy is absolutely essential for this population of people. Although a gradual decline in physical capacity is expected, strategies and physical treatment programs are implemented to minimise the effects of both the condition as well as the associated de-conditioning that commonly exists with these patients.

Education and professional, expert advice on appropriate management of the signs and symptoms, in addition to the most appropriate techniques and ideas for successfully managing these patients is vital.  Maintaining minimal care requirements and maximising “quality of life” is the highest priority  whilst the prevention of unnecessary accidents such as falls is sought.

The main goals of treatment are usually to improve/ manage disease symptoms, relieve any pain, maintain mobility and enhance functional capacity.