Rehabilitation
When you are sitting and more mobile, rehabilitation begins. This stage usually takes many months.
Care during your rehabilitation covers a wide range of activities. It is centred around you adjusting and coming to terms with the impact of your spinal cord injury. You will learn about the changes that have taken place in your body and how to manage these changes. During rehabilitation you will also develop your physical strength and acquire new skills so that you can resume normal life.
Your team
A team approach is taken in the rehabilitation stage. Your team will include:
- doctors, you will be assigned a consultant who will follow you through your hospitalisation, and registrars and residents will look after your day-to-day care
- nurses, many of whom are specialist in spinal care, sexual health, continence, urology and wound management
- physiotherapist
- occupational therapist
- social worker
- peer support
- psychologist
- psychiatrist
- dietician
- leisure adviser
- pharmacist
New skills
As part of your rehabilitation you might enter an intensive exercise program in a special gym, where weight training can be used to build your strength. You will learn how to move between your bed and wheelchair.
You will also learn new skills such as:
- managing your wheelchair on different surfaces - inside and outside
- performing pressure relief
- caring for the equipment you need
- driving with hand controls
- new work skills
This will help prepare you to resume normal life, and re-enter the workforce should you choose to.
Education
You will learn about how your body has changed and how to take care of it, including:
- bladder care
- bowel care
- pressure care
- posture
- sexual function
- mental health
- travel options
- leisure options
- access in the community to services
- exercise
- work and vocation
- skin care
