What is Rehabilitation ?
Rehabilitation is simply explained as “ the action of restoring health or normal life through therapy and training post illness, injury or addiction”.
What we commonly or familiar with is Traditional or Intensive Rehabilitation, what benefits the community to maintain health and fitness is the Reconditioning rehabilitation or Slow steam rehabilitation which benefits the individual with long term goals to improve the quality of life and sustaining and maintaining health.
What we see commonly in our communities where retirees or ageing population with still a good qualify of life they have, is going through loneliness, depression, no proper information on how to manage chronic condition, how to recover, how to maintain healthy ageing etc etc, here the Reconditioning or Slow stream rehabilitation plays a vital role to retrain, regaining their functional
Capabilities, confidence and independence maximising the Quality Of Life.
Reconditioning Rehabilitation:
Reconditioning is required where a de conditioning happened such as weakness and loss of confidence in individuals following a long term illness, advancement of a disease, post surgery with a prolonged recovery as well
Prolonged hospitalisation. It is a comprehensive rehabilitation service which enables the individuals to improve their confidence and regain the independence in functioning Activities of Daily Living.
✓ The Reconditioning Rehab aims to :
✓ Improve mobility and balance
◦ Gain general muscle strength and flexibility
◦ General fitness
◦ Physical, psychological and social recovery.Most of the Rehabilitation setting with reconditioning rehab program provide:
◦ Rehab physician and medical officers assessing the clients and planing a r tailored program along with the multidisciplinary team .
◦ Group or 1:1 physiotherapy : 1,2 or 3 sessions of physiotherapy program depends on their clinical settings aimed at improving general
strength, endurance and mobility “.
◦ Hydrotherapy : aimed at 2 to 3 sessions per Week included in the tailored, individualised program.
◦ Occupational Therapy : aimed at retraining safe self care techniques, organising equipments , home visit to asses how they area managing on their own ensuring a safe return to their Normal living .
◦ Social workers : aimed at organising services on discharge .
◦ Dietetics :assessing and education on healthy eating as well liaising with GP to maintain a healthy eating and life style.
◦ Pharmacist : aimed at medication management and follow in the community.
◦ Rehabilitation nurses : aimed at providing comprehensive nursing care as well community follow up .
To conclude it in a simple way, reconditioning rehabilitation program or therapy enables individuals in a way to recover and regain their strength and confidence optimising and maximising the Quality of life which benefits to enjoy life more in a healthy way and in an ageing population giving them an opportunity to sustain well in their environment enjoying life in a more healthy way than going in to Residential aged care early.
