Rehabilitation improves life for people of all ages

The demand for rehabilitation services has undergone a marked demographic change in recent years as our population ages and more rural people access rehabilitation closer to home.

Rehabilitation can no longer be equated with aged care, according to Hunter New England Health Stroke Care Coordinator, Alexandra Little.  Mrs Little works closely with rehabilitation patients in the New England region.
 
“There is a larger number of much younger people, from their teens to their 30s, now accessing rehabilitation services as a consequence of car or bike accidents, burns and congenital or developmental conditions,” Mrs Little said.

This trend is a major factor behind the inaugural NSW Rehabilitation Week, from 17 to 23 September.  The week is aimed at spreading awareness of what rehabilitation is and how it can be accessed.

“Rehabilitation is a process of assisting people with a loss of function and the consequent inability to achieve their highest possible level of independence - physically, socially and economically,” she explained.

Mrs Little said rehabilitation was about enabling people to resume life in their own communities.

“Re-integration into home and community following stroke, brain injury, amputation or disease is a process which requires a co-ordinated use of medical, nursing and allied health professions and a dedicated commitment from the patient, their families and communities,” she said.

There is a need to address the common misunderstanding that “rehab” is a place where celebrities go to undergo treatment for drug or alcohol dependency.

“Rather, rehabilitation is an essential service for anyone who has survived and is recovering from illness and trauma, for our increasingly ageing population and for those who have undergone elective orthopaedic surgery,” Mrs Little said.

“Rehabilitation will allow us to remain independent for longer and the demand is increasing as our communities become more educated and are less willing to accept dependence as their lot.”

Almost half of all inpatient rehabilitation services are based in rural areas, due to the increasing demands for rehabilitation services ‘closer to home’.

The state’s first Rehabilitation Week will coincide with Brain Injury Awareness Week and National Stroke Week, highlighting two major health issues for which rehabilitation is central to best functional outcomes.

Media opportunities: There will be a number of photo and interview opportunities during the week, including with people who have undergone rehabilitation.

• A Rehab Expo will be held at the new Armidale Plaza on Monday, 17 September.

Contact: Tamaryn Curry

Phone: 4921 4801