Rehabilitation

Your Rehabilitation options

As you recover, nursing and discharge staff at the Mater Hospital will talk to you about your rehabilitation once you leave the hospital. Here are three options which will be discussed with you.

1. Mater Hospital Day-Therapy Rehabilitation Program
   
   After your discharge from hospital, you can arrange to visit the Mater Hospital's rehabilitation facility for about three hours twice a week. At your first visit, there's a team of specialists to look after you, including a rehabilitation physician, an orthopaedic nurse coordinator, physiotherapists and occupational therapist. By arrangement, a bus can collect and drop you to and from the facility each day if you have no transport and depending on availability. The nurse and discharge staff at the hospital can provide you with further information about the Mater day therapy rehabilitation program. This is an excellent way to combine being at home with a hospital based rehabilitation program.
    
2. Rehabilitation at The Mater
   
   The Mater now has a new sixteen bed rehabilitation ward with dedicated physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other specialists.
    
3. Rehabilitation Hospital
   
   After discharge from the Mater, you go directly to an accredited rehabilitation hospital for a week or two before going home. This may be suitable for you if you do not feel confident about going home, if you live alone and have minimal family/carer support during the first few weeks, or if you are elderly and feel you need the additional support of a hospital facility. There are several rehabilitation hospitals which can provide appropriate care. You should ask the hospital nursing staff to assist you to find one which is suitable and conveniently located for you and your family.
    
4. You own Rehabilitation Program
   
   You may wish to manage your own rehabilitation at home. In this case, you will want to have excellent help around you and you should engage an experienced physiotherapist to assist you with your rehabilitation. This is sometimes the best option for patients who live outside Sydney.