DESCRIPTION: |
Physically and/or mentally disabled adults and children can be helped to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric and social functional levels. Rehabilitation services are geared for person with medical, post surgical, post trauma, neurological, orthopaedic, musculo-skeletal and other conditions. These include for example burns, head injuries, strokes, trauma, hand injuries, amputation, respiratory, cardiac and other disorders. The service is essential but is not extensive and fails to reach many people in need due to a lack of resources. Most public sector services are based in hospitals and special schools, with few services available at community level. Most of the services are urban-based with 19% or less of rehabilitation staff working in rural areas beyond the Cape Metropole. Available services:
PRIMARY LEVEL AND STEP DOWN REHABILITATION SERVICES Primary Level Rehabilitation Services are limited to certain community health centres and district hospitals. For more information about available services phone the regional rehabilitation managers at the following numbers:
However, all clinics do routine developmental screening for babies and toddlers. When there is a suspected mental or physical disability the child will be referred to a specialist clinic at secondary or tertiary level. At the same time the child will be referred to a rehabilitation professional e.g. physiotherapist or occupational therapist at primary health care level where available. In addition to initial screening with subsequent referral, rehabilitation at this level is primarily focused on the management of acute conditions, home based visits, the training of family and care givers, screening for disability grants and consultation with NGOs, support groups, schools and creches. Booth Hospital in Cape Town and Life Care in Pinelands make provision for low intensity rehabilitation and step down care while services for children are available at Sarah Fox and Maitland Cottage, also in Cape Town. Clients will be referred to secondary or tertiary level care if necessary. SECONDARY LEVEL REHABILITATION SERVICES Secondary Level Rehabilitation Services are for people with a temporary/more permanent disability and are provided to a limited degree by various regional hospitals. Rehabilitation for people who have had strokes, amputations or spinal injuries continues to be available at the new state-of-the-art, custom-built Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Mitchell's Plain. TERTIARY LEVEL REHABILITATION SERVICES Tertiary Level Rehabilitation Services are provided by Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children's Hospitals and the psychiatric hospitals (Stikland, Lentegeur, Valkenberg and Alexandra Hospital), all in Cape Town. Groote Schuur Hospital provides ICU/high-care and acute stage management of people with a spinal cord injuries. Occupational therapy departments at Tygerberg, Groote Schuur, Stikland and Lentegeur Hospitals provide some vocational rehabilitation. This involves mostly work assessment, which tests the readiness of clients to re-enter the open labour market after injury or illness. If they are ready they will become part of the hospital's vocational programme, which prepares them for basic work skills. If they are not ready, staff recommend they be placed in a protective workshop (sheltered employment), which falls under the provincial Department of Social Development and the National Department of Labour. SPECIALIST AND ACADEMIC REHABILITATION There is one in-patient rehabilitation unit servicing the entire Western Cape Province and neighbouring provinces, the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Cape Town. This service provides a high-intensity rehabilitation service for physically disabled adults. There is an outpatient clinic for one stop assessment and management of the client's rehabilitation needs. Multidisciplinary teams provide outreach assessment and training at clinics and in the community and helps clients to get the most appropriate assistive device (wheelchair or buggy) for their needs. The team also helps rehabilitation staff in other areas to gain in-service training experience. The Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre also plays an active role in buidling rehabilitation capacity through the training of health professionals, volunteers, home-based carers and community workers. |
INSTRUCTIONS: |
People who are physically and mentally disabled must first check if there is a service at primary health care level. They will be referred up the line when necessary.First-time visitors to the clinic or secondary or tertiary hospital will be asked to fill out a form and a folder will be opened. Bring your ID book. A referral letter from the clinic will be required when visiting a hospital. Hospitals will ask for your most recent payslip/income assessment (IRP5). Bring your hospital card if previously registered at the hospital. |
PROVIDED AT: |
These facility categories: And these facilities: |
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GOVERNMENT BODY:
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Department of Health (Provincial Government of the Western Cape) |
PRICE: |
Free at primary health care level. Following Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's announcement that a free health care policy for people with disabilities would come into operation on 1 July 2003, this service should be free. This covers outpatient visits and admissions to hospitals, and includes disability aids such as wheelchairs and hearing aids. The free service should include people who have permanent disabilities that have resulted in moderate to severe difficulty in living a normal life, older people who are considered frail, and long-term patients in institutions for mental health care. The criteria for assessments and exactly how this will be implemented are currently being investigated. |
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