REHABILITATION

A Project For Step Down Rehabilitation



Table of Contents

Introduction1

Discussion1

Defining Rehabilitation and its Strategy2

Perspective of rehabilitation and its relevance for present day practice2

Stages of Rehabilitation4

External & internal influences on rehabilitation6

Role of Users and Carers in Promoting Rehabilitation7

Evaluation of international rehabilitation issues8

Collaboration8

Team working9

Current international theories of rehabilitation10

Collaborative teamwork and seamless service11

Partnership working12

Promoting independence and providing a quality service13

Intervention strategy14

Planning and implementing change17

Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations on Evidence17

References19

A Project for Step down Rehabilitation

Introduction

Coping with diseases and chronic medical conditions can be a complex task. This is to say that rehabilitation is not an easy process depending upon the nature of the disease and the patient's willingness to recover from the condition (Lewis Sugai 1996a , p. 7). Hence, rehabilitation is viewed as a comprehensive programme that makes use of the services of expert practitioners and carers who know the patients and their conditions well. This essay will focus mainly on the inter-professional rehabilitation issues from the perspective of carers and users. Our discussion will include a comprehensive focus on rehabilitation, its relevance in present settings, aspects of collaborative teamwork, assessing the nature of services, that are provided, partnership working using strategic relationships, and lastly an intervention strategy to bridge the gaps in the provision of quality service. We will also provide some recommendations based on evidence and evaluate mechanisms for planning and change.

Discussion

The main objective of rehabilitation is the restoration of physical function, and enabling patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle again. Rehabilitation concerns with reducing the disabling conditions of the patient to a minimal extent ( Gelman 1995 , p. 1203). These conditions are commonly observed among the older generation who require extensive rehabilitation services at this stage of life. Hospital doctors, nurses and general medical practitioners should be aware of the core principles of rehabilitation, be equipped with the expertise of assessing the rehabilitation needs of their subjects, and have a tight grip over the rehabilitation services provided by their local settings in order to stimulate the effectiveness of such services and trigger the referral process. Recovery from disease is just one aspect from the patient recovery system. Enabling an individual to lead a normal life like his fellows after suffering a chronic disorder or disease is no easy job.

Defining Rehabilitation and its Strategy

Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a process aimed at enabling them to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, cognitive and social functional levels. Rehabilitation provides disabled people with the tools they need to attain independence and self-determination. The most common targets for rehabilitation within medical settings are the old-aged people who are at the risk of chronic disorders that are characteristic of their age. These patients exhibit a tendency of receiving rehabilitation services that follow the treatments for various diseases like cardio respiratory disorders, strokes of various kinds, arthritis, fractures of bones, and peripheral vascular diseases (Lewis Sugai 1996a , p. 7)

Perspective of rehabilitation and its relevance for present day practice

Rehabilitation finds significant relevance in the present day medical system where an increasing ...