When you have been in an accident, be it a collision or a slip and fall, what you should be doing before anything else is focus on getting better. Once you’ve received the immediate treatment for your injuries, you might require a stint at a rehabilitation center where you will be given all-round therapy so that both your psychological and physical injuries heal completely and you can resume your everyday life.
But choosing the right kind of rehabilitation facility is crucial to recovery. There are centers galore but not all might be suitable for your needs.
To help you make one of the most important decisions of your life here is a checklist to enable you to determine if
- The rehab center provides the treatment you need
Different rehabilitation centers have different specializations. So choose the best one according to your injury. A simple internet search will pull up a list of centers that pertain to the kind of treatment you need, be it a brain trauma, an injured spine, or a shattered bone.
- What people have to say about the facility
The reviews of a particular rehabilitation center speak volumes about the quality of services it offers. A generally well-reviewed facility can be trusted. Go through the reviews written by patients who have been discharged. Find out the success rate of the center. Ask around, your acquaintances may be familiar with the facility and would be able to tell you if it is good for you.
- Mode of treatment
There are rehabilitation centers that offer well-established and conventional modes of treatment, while others opt for a more holistic approach. And then there are rehab centers that club both the traditions. Your decision will be a matter of preference, but the treatment mode is something you should consider before you decide.
- Experienced staff
You cannot compromise on experience. Minutely enquire after how much experience the staff of the facility has. The more experienced they are the better they would be able to implement treatment. Also, each member of the staff must have valid licenses. The documents generated by them will play a role in deciding how much settlement you get when you decide to file a personal injury case.
A good rehab center must have a low staff to patient ratio. Too many patients can stretch the staff thin and you will not get the attention that you deserve.
- An all-rounder team
Rehabilitation is more than just mending your injuries. It is a comprehensive recovery program. That is why the rehab facility must be staffed with different experts specializing in different domains. There must be
- Doctors: to evaluate your progress
- Physiotherapists: to help you regain the use of your injured body part
- Nurses: to care for your overall health
- Psychologists: to detect and diagnose any psychological complication that may arise during the recovery procedure
- Counselors: to help cope with anxiety and depression. If trauma causes cognitive problems then there will be behavioral therapy to overcome those challenges
- Social workers: who will help you resume your normal life
- Nutritionists: a healthy diet is crucial to recovery and a nutritionist can draw up a food chart based on your specific needs
- Does the rehab accept insurance
If an insurance policy will pay for your treatment (either your own of the insurer of the person because of whom you sustained the injury), then make sure that the rehab center takes this kind of payment.
- The location
The nearer the rehab center to your home, the better. This way your family can come and visit you frequently. Long-distance travel can be a drain on financial resources.
- Round-the-clock care
This requirement must be met by a rehabilitation center to qualify as a good facility. There must be doctors, nurses, and therapists on hand at all hours of the day. Patients’ health can deteriorate at any time and that is why in a rehabilitation facility, the staff must be vigilant all day and night.
- Number of therapy sessions
Usually, patients need therapy sessions quite a few times a week. Each session must last for 2-3 hours depending on the severity of the injuries sustained. If a rehabilitation center offers fewer sessions than the norm, it could be because they want the recovery procedure to drag out for their monetary gains. So this is something a patient must look into before deciding if the rehabilitation facility is good enough.
- Follow-up services
A rehabilitation center worth its salt must provide follow-up services. Patients relapse, it is not unheard of and you need to consider that possibility. However, many rehabilitation centers wash their hands clean of the patients once they are discharged. Since the rehabilitation center where you had been receiving your treatment is the most familiar with your medical history and how you respond to therapy, it is best that you get your follow-up care from the same facility.
- Does the rehabilitation center allow family and friends to attend therapy with the patient?
Certain types of cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions yield the best results when loved ones are allowed to participate in the sessions with the patient. This fosters a greater understanding of the problem and challenges the patients face. Having loved ones near during vulnerable times also raises the patient’s morale. All good rehab centers make provisions for this.
- Does the rehabilitation center offer supplementary services?
For the patient’s psychological wellbeing, there should be a means of keeping him/her meaningfully occupied. The rehabilitation facility must have-
- A garden
- A well-stocked reading room
- A common room where patients can mingle
- Board games
- Painting supplies
- Computers with high-speed internet
- Music and movies
If you are still not sure how to pick the best rehabilitation center that fits your budget, you can consult claim settlement who will connect you to top-grade therapists and facilities.
At Claim Settlement, our network of lawyers have 20 years of experience in handling personal injury and accident cases and has recovered millions of dollars in settlements for our clients. Our initial consultations are absolutely free and you don’t pay until our networks of lawyers have procured you the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered an injury or been in an accident call us at 1-833-892-5246 for a free consultation or e-mail us at claim@claimsettlement.ca