Rehabilitation can be defined as maximizing the physical, psychological, social, vocational, recreational, and educational potential of a person with a physiological or anatomical disability and difficulty adapting to his environment.
Rehabilitation is a dynamic process that encompasses everything from disability prevention and early diagnosis to expanded care plans for both inpatients and outpatients.
Neurological rehabilitation units are facilities that provide outpatient and inpatient diagnosis, treatment, and all types of rehabilitation services to patients with neurological disorders.
In these units,
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation (FTR) specialist,
- a neurologist,
- Orthopedic Surgeon,
- Internal medicine specialist
- General surgeon
- Psychiatrist
- Cardiologist
- Neurosurgeon
- Anesthesiologist – Algologist available.
The primary goal of rehabilitation is to improve function and help him develop the functional abilities necessary to live as independently as possible in his daily life.
In neurological rehabilitation
- Spinal cord injuries
- Stroke (paralysis)
- Traumatic brain injury
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Spinocerebellar disorders
- Syringomyelia
- Spasticity
- Poliomyelitis and post-polio syndrome
- Polyneuropathies
- Compression neuropathies
- Peripheral nerve injuries
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Muscular dystrophies are treated.
During the rehabilitation process, the physical therapy and rehabilitation (FTR) specialist works in a multidisciplinary team to treat these patients. In other words, he collaborates with all of the clinicians listed above to shape the patient’s rehabilitation process.
In addition to working with other clinicians, a broad team of non-physician healthcare professionals is also an integral part of the rehabilitation process.
Members of this team
- Physical therapist
- Rehabilitation nurse
- Occupational therapist
- Psychologist
- Speech-Language and Swallowing Therapist
- Social worker
- Orthotics and prosthetics technician
- Recreational therapist
- Career counselors
- Dietitian
- Occupational therapist.
It is a care system aimed at improving quality of life in progressive, incurable, or slow-progressing diseases.
Healthcare services resemble a tree: its roots are physical, mental, psychological, and social well-being, while its branches include hospital intensive care units, palliative care units, nursing homes, home care, outpatient care, consulting physicians, and so on. You cannot separate the branches from the roots.
In Turkey
, patients and their families often request “intensive care” with advanced life support as the setting for end-of-life care, rather than home care, palliative care, a nursing home, or a hospice. Advanced life support is defined as the setting where patients are treated for symptoms that develop suddenly—whether in a previously healthy individual or due to an underlying chronic, progressive illness—and where there is a chance of saving the patient’s life. Examples of such situations include a brain hemorrhage, a heart attack, or a traffic accident. Assessing the care status of patients in Intensive Care Units and facilitating their transfer to other professional care settings will alleviate the care burden on patients and their families and maximize benefits in terms of treatment efficacy, the morale of patients and their loved ones, and cost-effectiveness.
Expectations for the Neurorehabilitation Unit:
Studies indicate that the expectations of patients and their families include comfort, symptom management, emotional support, information, education, communication, being consulted on and having a say in decisions regarding the patient’s care, and receiving clear answers to their questions from healthcare providers at any time.
In line with these expectations, patients and their families seek facilities that offer personalized, coordinated, and flexible care options, allowing them to spend more time with the patient. The Neurorehabilitation Unit is organized specifically to meet these expectations.