Paediatric Rehabilitation Department

The Paediatric Rehabilitation Department is responsible for the provision of intensive rehabilitation for children/adolescents with an acquired (and often catastrophic) reduction in function due to trauma, illness or medical procedures.  The aim is to assist children/adolescents to achieve the highest level of independence, physically, socially and psychologically, in order to maximize their quality of life and their participation within their family and community.

Care is interdisciplinary, delivered by a team of highly skilled medical, nursing and allied health staff. The child and family are central to delivery of care and establishment of functional goals. There is a focus on discharge planning and re-integration into the child’s home, school and community.  The Department is accredited as a Designate Rehabilitation Facility by the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and provides training for Rehabilitation Physicians.

The Paediatric Rehabilitation Department at the Women's and Children's Hospital provides the following services:

Inpatient Rehabilitation Service Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service Outpatient /Outreach Rehabilitation Clinics (hospital, community and country SA/NT) Movement Disorder Service (Including Hip Surveillance program, Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) program, Botulinum Toxin therapy program) Hours of operation and Contact Information / Referrals - how to refer to the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department (Inpatient and Ambulatory Services) Donations Further Information Map of hospital showing Paediatric Rehabilitation Department

Services

Inpatient Rehabilitation Service

The inpatient service is responsible for providing intensive rehabilitation to assist children in reaching their maximal functional potential.  After a referral and initial assessment , children who may benefit enter the program.  The program is goal oriented and time limited.  At discharge there is a transition either to the Ambulatory Service or directly back into the community with referral to community based support services where available.   Inpatient Services Information for Families brochure (945kb) Inpatient Services Information for Professional brochure (366kb)

Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service

The Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service commenced in August 2010 from funds that were provided by COAG and GP Plus.  It was clear from the establishment of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Service, that the patients who were medically stable could be discharged sooner.  However, there were concerns that if therapy discontinued too early or was not intensive enough, the patients would not achieve their highest possible level of function, and be at risk of losing any gains recently achieved.  The new service which provides intensive rehabilitation to non admitted patients, bridges the gap between intensive inpatient rehabilitation and less intensive therapy available in the community.

Two groups of patients are eligible to access this new Service.

Category 1

Inpatients with an acquired neurological condition that are medically stable and can be safely discharged to the community with appropriate accommodation and equipment.

Category 2

Outpatients with an acquired or congenital neurological condition identified in a Rehabilitation Clinic as requiring a medical or surgical intervention to maximise or improve function.

Both groups of patients are eligible for a program through the Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service if the prescribed amount of therapy is not available in their local community.

The Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service will offer programs that are:

• Intensive:  therapy needs to occur more than three times per week, so initially the service will be operational from a hospital base.
• Time-limited:  there are clear points of entry and exit, intensive rehabilitation is provided for the time period that it is required.
• Goal focussed:  therapy is based on the goals set by the patient, family and rehabilitation team at the beginning of the program and progressed once achieved.
• Family centred:  family involvement in planning, therapy, goal setting and decision making is pivotal to therapy outcomes.
• Multi- and inter- disciplinary:  more than one discipline may be involved in a patient's care and they will work in an inter-disciplinary manner, meaning that the therapists will work in a complimentary way to help the patient to achieve the goals they have identified.

Key components of the Ambulatory Rehabilitation Service:

• Early referral to and ongoing liaison with local community services
• Inclusion of community or hospital school
• Educating, up-skilling and mentoring clinicians working in country areas
• Multi-disciplinary and inter-agency family/patient goal meetings at the beginning and end of the therapy program and during the program as required
• As appropriate, key representatives from agencies involved in the patient's care will be invited to attend the relevent meetings
• Transition to home, school and the wider community
• A neuropsychological evaluation will be incorporated into various discharge planning periods
• Ongoing support from social work and psychology
• Discharge to local community services when intensive therapy is no longer indicated
• Ongoing surveillance through the Rehabilitation clinics.

Ambulatory Services Information for Families brochure (768kb)

Further Information

Information for families Research Activity Links to Other Useful Websites

Donations

If you would like to make a donation towards Paediatric Rehabilitation at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital please follow the link below and ask to specifically donate to our Paediatric Rehabilitation Department. 

I would like to make a donation to Paediatric Rehabilitation Department (links to WCH Foundation site)

Consumer Feedback

Consumer feedback and complaints are valuable to the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department because they enable us to view our service from the perspective of consumers and their carers.  When used effectively, this information can also assist in directing improvement in the quality of our services.  Please spend sometime looking at link below and provide us with your valuable feedback and comments.

I wish to provide feedback to the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department

I wish to provide feedback to Women's & Children's Hospital

Hours

Paediatric Rehabilitation Department office is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Contact Information

Paediatric Rehabilitation Department
Women’s & Children’s Hospital
Women's and Children's Health Network
72 King William Rd
North Adelaide  South Australia 5006
(Located on 1st floor, Rieger Building)

Phone/Fax/Email

Direct Ph (08) 8161 7367 or 8161 7220
Direct Fax (08) 8161 8488
Email:  Paediatric Rehabilitation Department

Referrals - how to refer to the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department (Inpatient and Ambulatory Services)

Referrals need to be made in writing and by a medical officer and are directed to the Consultant or Paediatric Rehabilitation Manager.  A formal referral via Oacis needs to follow.   Referrals can be mailed, faxed or emailed to the Paediatric Rehabilitation Department.

Our Rehabilitation Team

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