What to Expect

Rehab staff member talking with a rehabilitation patient

Overview

A wide range of symptoms can be experienced, depending on the severity and location of an injury. Sometimes an individual with a spinal injury can expect full recovery with rehabilitation, while other injuries can be more serious and result in permanent damage. 

Whatever the situation, our REHAB team will develop a customized treatment plan based on each patient's goals.

Length of Stay

REHAB team will assess and make recommendations based on each individual patient’s needs. There are various factors that impact the length of stay at REHAB, but on average, patients stay about 3-4 weeks as a participant in our SCI program. 

Therapy Schedule

Initial therapy assessments are performed on the day of admission. Each patient will receive: 

  • At least 3 hours of intensive therapy daily. This includes daily physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapy
  • Therapy sessions may occur between 6:00AM - 5:30PM 
  • Minimum of 5 days per week. Schedules are provided to each patient on a daily basis. Staff encourages patients to remain active throughout the day. 
  • Other therapy assessments may be requested by your interdisciplinary care team, for example:
    • medical assessment
    • nutritional assessment, or
    • leisure interest assessment 

General Rehabilitation Schedule

REHAB takes pride in giving patients a care plan suited for their individual needs. Every patient has different factors that can impact their treatment plan and rehabilitation schedule, such as insurance, family/caregiver involvement, severity of injury and home environment. The following gives a general idea of components that may be part of a spinal cord injury patient’s rehabilitation program at REHAB: 

Innovative Technologies

  • Expand Mobility Course panel

    We provide a safe environment for patients to gain experience navigating various terrain (i.e., bark chips, sand, gravel, cobblestone and grass) during their treatment to improve their ability to safely make their way across these surfaces when encountering them in their home and in the community.

    Mobility course terrain

    More information about Mobility Course »

General Schedule

Week 1

  • Admission
  • Patient Assessments:  Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Recreational Therapy
  • Wheelchair Assessment (for patients with permanent damage)

Week 2

  • Full Therapy Schedule
  • Meet with neuropsychologist or participate in Inpatient Support Group

Week 3

  • Reintegration Program
  • Caregiver training (based on patient goals and needs)
  • SCI Peer Mentor (initial pairing by recreational therapy team with meet & greet)

Week 4

  • Discharge planning and Discharge to community (with home assessment, if needed or requested by physician)
  • Start therapy twice a week in Outpatient clinic (regimen and length of therapy services determined by designated physical therapist)
  • Follow-up meeting SCI Peer Mentor
     

 

  • Follow-up SCI Peer Mentor meeting