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| Q) |
What is medical rehabilitation?
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| A) |
For most people, most of the time, recovery from all the minor accidents and sicknesses of everyday life is something we
can manage on our own with perhaps only one trip to the doctor, an aspirin or just a good night's rest.
But there are accidents and diseases that we don't just spring back from. They range from the tennis elbow that just doesn't
get better, to the pain in the back that's so bad you stay home from work for weeks on end, all the way through the scale of
injuries to a stroke that leaves you without the ability to swallow or a spinal cord injury that leaves you without the ability to walk.
This whole range describes the area where Medical Rehabilitation can be of service.
For some, medical rehabilitation is a visit to a physical therapist to help you bend that tennis elbow. For others, medical r
ehabilitation is a program of several weeks with a therapy team to build strength back into your body and to learn how to manage
your back pain while going back to work and taking care of family responsibilities. And for others, medical rehabilitation may be the
gradual process of relearning how to swallow or learning new skills for getting around -- such as using a wheelchair -- to substitute
for skills that are no longer possible.
Medical Rehabilitation is a process that provides medical care and teaches people how to make the most of life -- physically,
mentally and socially.
It enhances a person's ability to function on their own. It helps people find new ways to accomplish the basic activities of daily
living such as getting around, dressing, communicating with others, driving a car and preparing a meal. It can help prepare you for
moving on in life after an injury or disease, to go back to a job or school or simply taking care of everyday needs. Mastery of these
types of skills allows individuals to move back into the normal stream of life with their families and at the workplace, and in the society
as a whole. In short, effective medical rehabilitation can and should enhance the quality of life of those who choose to use the many
services available.
At Casa Colina, the goals of medical rehabilitation are the core of our mission -- to provide opportunities for individuals to reach their
rehabilitation potential efficiently and effectively in an environment that recognizes each person's uniqueness, dignity and self-esteem.
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| Q) |
How does medical rehabilitation help people? |
| A) |
Through medical rehabilitation, persons who become disabled as a result of trauma or disease can be helped to return
to the most productive and independent life style possible.
- In addition to helping people minimize their disability and improve function, medical rehabilitation can reduce future costly
medical complications and the need for rehospitalization.
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| Q) |
Don't people with disabilities just go on to a nursing home, anyway, after they're finished with medical rehabilitation? |
| A) |
As a result of medical rehabilitation, at least 50,000 to 100,000 people return to their homes each year. These individuals would
otherwise require additional care on a long-term basis at considerable expense to government programs, as well as to their families.
- This results in a net savings to individuals, insurance companies and government programs of approximately $500 million to $1 billion annually.
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| Q) |
Isn't it true that most people never return to work after a significant accident or disease? |
| A) |
As a result of medical rehabilitation, an estimated 350,000 Americans return to work each year.
- Individuals who return to work each year as a result of medical rehabilitation produce about $700 million in additional state and federal
revenue through income tax payments.
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| Q) |
Medical rehabilitation is expensive. Is it really cost effective? |
| A) |
By reducing acute care hospital days (length of stay) and rehospitalizations, medical rehabilitation saves hundreds of millions of
dollars per year in medical costs that would otherwise be paid by insurers, Medicare or Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California), as well as by individuals.
- Medical rehabilitation results in an estimated annual savings of $1 to $2 billion for public programs such as Workers' Compensation,
disability insurance and Medicaid.
- A study by an insurance company has shown that, with severe brain injury, for every $1 spent on rehabilitation, $23 is saved over the
lifetime of the person with the brain injury.
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| Q) |
Who benefits from medical rehabilitation? |
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People with a twist, sprain or strain of a muscle or joint which does not resolve in a reasonable time.
- People with a condition that can be helped by better muscle control, such as some types of incontinence in women and chronic pain.
- People with an injury or medical condition such as: head injury, aneurysm, spinal cord injury, stroke (CVA), burns, multiple trauma,
repetitive motion injury (carpal tunnel syndrome), anoxia (lack of oxygen for some period of time), amputation, broken hip or multiple
bone fractures, and hip or knee replacement.
- People with a disease or chronic condition such as: arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome,
heart disease, lung disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), problems related to AIDS or infection with HIV (the
virus that causes AIDS).
- People with a birth defect or inherited disorder, such as: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, hearing problems, speech
problems, disorders that effect vision, balance, thinking, etc., and children with developmental delays.
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| Q) |
Who pays for medical rehabilitation? |
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Private and group health insurance usually offers coverage of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services.
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) may cover inpatient and outpatient
rehabilitation on a limited basis.
- Medicaid (Medi-Cal) covers rehabilitation services in some cases. Contact your state Medicaid (Medi-Cal) office for details.
- Medicare covers some inpatient and outpatient services.
- Workers' compensation covers rehabilitation services related to work injuries (in most states).
- No-fault auto insurance pays for medical rehabilitation following accidents (in some states).
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| Q) |
How do I get medical rehabilitation? |
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As with any medical or treatment program, the first advice is to check with your doctor. If you think medical rehabilitation
can help you or a family member, your doctor will help evaluate your (or your family member's) condition and assess whether
medical rehabilitation is needed.
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| Q) |
Where can I go for more information? |
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Call Patient Services at Casa Colina Hospital, 800/926-5462, extension 3500 or send an email message directly through this site.
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