What did you do after inpatient rehab?

[KellyA]

My father is an incomplete C3, Asia C. He's currently at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA for rehab. He lives in Sarasota, FL (traveled to Shepherd for inpatient rehab). He only has a few more weeks in inpatient, then moves to "day program" at Shepherd for a few weeks. After that he is expected to go home. My question is, what have most of you done immediately following inpatient rehab? Do you go back home and find local PT/OT options? Do you go to a Project Walk? Just curious what others have done and what they recommend immediately following 8 week in patient rehab. Thank you!

[Jim]

Kelly, we made a deal with my insurance company when I was discharged from Shepherd. I lived in Colonial Homes (right down the block off Peachtree), and was able to attend outpatient for a few more months. Thas was back in '95 though.

Most people these days find a place like Project Walk to attend. Unfortunately, not enough of these facilities.

[Ggerry]

I went to outpatient rehab. which was close to my home for 3 days a week till they or the insurance company decided I reached my Plato after 3 months of It! But I also was in inpatient rehab.for 4 months prior to that.

[SCI-Nurse]

Most people these days find a place like Project Walk to attend. Unfortunately, not enough of these facilities.

His Shepherd case manager should be helping you to identify resources for ongoing therapy in his area prior to discharge. Not all have any experience or expertise in SCI/D.

A post-acute program like Project Walk may be an option, but most are not covered by insurance, do not have PTs or OTs on staff, and are not inexpensive.

(KLD)

[TomRL]

When I was discharged no PT/OT outpatient options existed, but inpatient had been much longer [50+ years makes a huge difference as insurance companies didn't run the show back then]. I simply went back to doing what I had been doing which in my case was going to college.

[tomsonite]

KellyA, I just sent you a private message.

[annev308]

I was fortunate enough to have both an excellent and SCI experienced PT (in my then-tiny town) and access to a fantastic neurofocused outpatient rehab where many of the PTs had both professional and personal experience with SCI. I now live in a much larger town 90 minutes from a top ten rehab and local resources are pretty minimal. Constant refrain is "oh, you should go to the outpatient program at <top ten rehab>". You know what? The outpatient program there doesn't do <whatever> and also, that's a three hour round trip without traffic. It's very easy to see how and why people get stalled out - advocating for adequate care to continue recovering is *exhausting* and facilities and doctors don't do it for you.

[KellyA]

Thank you all for your comments. His Case Manager at Shepherd is great and is providing us with information post rehab. I was curious what others had done.

[vjls]

I was at shepherd and 1 of the first in their beyond program lived and hr south but after 6 weeks I could no longer afford the 750 a week out of pocket but I firmly believe had I been able I could walk with cruthes

at least I think so but no $$

[hlh]

It was about 9 years ago...... but my Dad was 65 when he was in inpatient rehab for 4 months. Then he did outpatient Day Rehab for at least another ?3-4 months, and then did outpatient PT with gait training/Locomat/pool for at least ? 9 months or maybe more... maybe a year. After that, the Rehab program had a nearby accessible gym where they had trainers who would continue outpatient "training", using recommendations from the prior PT to develop an "exercise program". The gym had a lot of great equipment that you find at PT programs.

Then on and off over the years, he has continued with a hodge-podge...... Anytime he starts having more falls/problems/decline/bad pain, he does another round of outpatient PT (about every 1.5-2 years or so). Anytime he has a new injury, he may get some therapy for that (ex. shoulder partial tear, carpal tunnel). He mixes up where he gets therapy.... not always the same big rehab hospital. Sometimes you find good local people at smaller rehab places that also have good ideas, and it keeps it from getting boring to mix it up. That's how he had his first experience on an AlterG bodyweight assisted treadmill, which he continues to use once or twice a week indefinitely for a nominal private pay fee. He joined a local gym, and works out there. He joined the local YMCA (was free with his health plan for awhile) and they have exercise class for free for seniors that you can do seated or standing. He has acquired a lot of home exercise equipment, much by donation/scavenging and some purchases on sale. He has an elevated exercise mat (like they have at most rehabs) that he received from another CareCure member for free that is amazing. He bought an old NuStep on Craigs list. And he has an assortment of bands, tubes, pulleys (body by jake), hand weights, wrist/ankle weights etc... Over the years, as his function changes, he has acquired a collection of assistance devices that all provide exercise (wheelchair, walkers, rollators, crutches etc...).

It never ends.