Sometimes after sudden illness or injury people find themselves needing help to manage at home, or even having to consider going into permanent residential or nursing home care.

These will be the right choices for many, but we are now able to offer a number of short-term services, either in your home, in a day centre, or in "special" residential care settings, which involve active programmes of rehabilitation to help you regain your independence. Equally some people in residential and nursing home care may decide they are able to manage in their own home again, but need help to make the move.

Rehabilitation aims to:

• rebuild your skills and confidence in doing everyday activities
• teach you new skills to help you manage at home
• keep you out of hospital, or permanent residential care, unless this really is the right choice for you.

Rehabilitation is about encouraging and helping you to do things for yourself. Specially trained carers work with you under the guidance of an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist. They will give you advice on how to cope with your illness or disability, or provide you with aids and equipment to help you do things more easily. You will all be following a written care plan, which alters as you improve.

Each person's progress is different and it is difficult to predict how long recovery will take. Each service is for a set period, but this may be extended or another rehabilitation service offered, if that is the best thing to do.

Most of these services are now available throughout the area. For details of where you can get these services please contact us using the details above.

After assessment by a Care Manager and Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist, your needs are discussed with you and you will be offered the most suitable choice. Once you are happy, you will be given a copy of your care plan.

Some people will not need any further help following rehabilitation, but some might need to have a different programme of rehabilitation, or long-term services to help them stay in their own homes. If ongoing help is needed, a Care Manager will arrange this for you.

Understandably, some of our service users who still need some long-term support can feel disappointed to find that the carers who provided their rehabilitation service cannot provide this. Unfortunately, these are specially trained, staff who only provide rehabilitation, not longer term support.

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