Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation - How To Access

Admission requirements

• Diagnosis of spinal cord injury (acute traumatic or non-traumatic).
• Medical and surgical stability.
• Need for an integrated specialized rehabilitation program with identifiable goals (i.e., patients' needs cannot be adequately met with community-based services and family physician).
• Willingness to participate.
• Resides in Bruce, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Huron, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, or Perth county (residents from other areas will be considered based on bed availability).
• Re-admissions may occur due to ongoing unresolved problems, investigations, re-assessments, education, or crisis interventions.
• Patient meeting above criteria and requiring post-operative rehabilitation.
• Has undergone appropriate tests for infections. (The decision to admit may depend on the ability to isolate patient if infectious.)
• Has a signed agreement by the referring physician which assures a discharge placement if determined necessary by the admitting physician.

Every attempt is made to identify potential discharge issues preadmission and to put alternatives in place should patient not be able to return home after rehabilitation. Alternatives could include admission/return to community hospital, return to referring hospital, long-term care placement, home with self-paid help, etc.

For those patients identified in acute care as likely requiring a long-term care admission after they have completed rehabilitation, the process is begun in acute care and completed at Parkwood Institute.

(Patients may be approved who do not meet all the above criteria at the discretion of the admitting physician).