What Happens After Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation?
Following discharge, many of our patients stay on at Shepherd Center to take advantage of our Spinal Cord Injury Day Program. This allows patients, who no longer need 24-hour nursing care, to continue their recovery and rehabilitation while living in our residence center next door.
Day Program services are focused on the functional return of skills necessary for community reintegration. Services may include physical or occupational therapy, nursing, respiratory therapy, counseling sessions, recreation therapy and educational training sessions.
Depending on your goals, you may need these services for a few days or a few weeks.
The Day Program also helps minimize the chance of further medical complications that are secondary to the neurological injury or illness.
Going home and perhaps back to work or school can be stressful. We can help make the transition go as smoothly as possible.
Return-to-Work Counseling
You may or may not be able to return to the same type of work you did before your injury. Your case manager and counselor can help you explore career issues and refer you for vocational counseling if applicable.
Back-to-School Program
Through our No Obstacles program, you and your therapist design a back-to-school plan that can include in-school awareness and sensitivity training for school staff and students, as well as instruction regarding medical issues, which may arise during your school day.
Outpatient Services
The Outpatient Services Department at Shepherd Center provides medical treatment, therapies and care for people with disabilities for a wide range of needs on an outpatient basis. Our programs provide individualized, integrative care and include family members when appropriate. To learn about our spinal cord injury outpatient program outcomes, visit the patient outcomes page.
If you live far away from Atlanta, your case manager will work with you and your family to identify outpatient resources closer to home.
