Rehabilitation — Wellington, Hutt and Kapiti

Rehabilitation helps you to restore and relearn lost abilities. We aim to assist you and your whānau to transition to your next stage and to identify realistic goals and expectations. We do this by providing patient-centred and targeted rehabilitation through an interdisciplinary service.

Our nursing, therapy, medical and technical staff work closely with you and your whānau and friends to design and implement individualised programmes to help you carry out day-to-day tasks.

In some cases this requires finding new ways of doing everyday activities and you are encouraged to do as much for yourself as you can safely do.

We provide treatment at hospital and in the community.

Care in hospital

All wards have a team of experienced staff with specialised skills to provide individualised assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

This enables you to discharge from hospital and to adjust to temporary or permanent changes to your:

• functioning
• health status
• ability to live life as you used to.

There is a specialist rehabilitation ward at Kenepuru Community Hospital for people recovering from a stroke or other neurological condition.

Services the team provides include:

• assessing your medical, physical and cognitive functioning
• designing your individual rehabilitation programme
• training you to use any recommended equipment
• advising you on home modifications
• helping you adjust to going home, such as organising home support
• helping organise a residential placement
• supporting you to adapt to life changes
• supporting and educating your whānau and carers.

While in hospital, you are encouraged to complete usual routines, including:

• being up and dressed during the day
• having meals in the patient day room where appropriate.

Care in the community

Members of the community team will visit you at home and help you participate in meaningful day-to-day activities. This includes assessment of your condition and treatment and rehabilitation needs.

The community team will develop specialised rehabilitation programme for you. Depending on your needs, this may include:

• community or home visits
• outpatient treatments
• worksite assessments and return to work planning
• coordination of the rehabilitation programme
• support and advocacy for you and your whānau and carers
• helping you access community services, groups and organisations
• specialist ACC contracted rehabilitation, such as training for independence programmes.

The community teams are based in Newtown, Porirua and at Kāpiti Health Centre. They have strong links with community groups and will connect you with other support in your community.

A referral by a healthcare provider (such as a GP) is required for this service.