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Sub-acute ambulatory care services

Page content: Overview | Community rehabilitation services | Accessing community rehabilitation centre services | Services provided | Further information

Overview

Sub-acute ambulatory care services, which include community rehabilitation centres, home-based rehabilitation or therapy services and specialist clinics, extend and complement inpatient services such as Rehabilitation and Geriatric Evaluation and Management.

Sub-acute care in the community is typified as a person-focused, interdisciplinary model of care, which is oriented towards flexible service delivery in a range of care settings. Its aim is to improve and maintain a person’s functional capacity and maximise their independence.

Community rehabilitation services

A community rehabilitation service is a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary service enabling clients of all ages who are disabled, frail, chronically ill or recovering from traumatic injury to achieve and retain optimal functional independence and facilitates the client’s reintegration into the community. The service is time-limited and delivered according to a case plan that is based on goals negotiated with the client and his or her carer(s).

The rehabilitation service can be delivered at a centre (for example, a Community Rehabilitation Centre) or at a person’s home.

Accessing community rehabilitation services

The coordinator of the community rehabilitation service can be directly contacted by clients. In most cases a written referral from a medical officer is preferred.

Services provided

Community rehabilitation centres provide a variety of therapies by health professionals which will help people to live independently in their own homes. Most community rehabilitation centres offer the following services:

• Consultative Medical Service
• Nursing: health advice, education, counselling and monitoring
• Physiotherapy: group and individual treatments aimed at restoring and maintaining the client's maximum movement potential
• Occupational Therapy: group and individual treatments, activities of daily living and home assessment
• Social Work: to assist clients and their carers with the management of problems related to family, finances, accommodation or socialisation
• Speech Pathology: develop effective communication for persons with speech disorders
• Podiatry: diagnosis and treatment of foot and lower limb disorders
• Dietetics: individual nutrition programs.

Further information

For further information see the Sub-acute Care Services website or you can contact your local community rehabilitation centre. A list of local community rehabilitation centres is available below.

Contact your local community rehabilitation centre (64kb, pdf)