What is rehabilitative & restorative care

Rehabilitative or restorative care is specialized care that helps you regain or retain your independence after the debilitating effects of an illness or injury. The goal is to help you reach the best level of functioning you can.

It’s delivered in a variety of settings. It can be provided in your home, or in specialized units in supportive living, continuing care homes, or acute care hospitals. Wherever you receive it, you have the same access to acute care assessment and diagnostic services as you would in hospital.

Most people come to rehabilitative or restorative care by transfer from acute care, when you no longer need hospital-level care but aren’t yet ready to go home, or through a referral from the community.

Who it's for

Rehabilitative or restorative care is for people who no longer need acute hospital care, but whose needs prevent them from going straight home or to another setting such as supportive living. It’s for people who:

• need nursing care on a 24-hour basis
• are able and willing to take part in a rehabilitation or restorative program
• have the potential to improve their functioning, or will move on to another level of community care
• have medical and clinical needs the unit is able to meet

A doctor’s referral is needed as well as an assessment by the appropriate therapists.

Where care services can be provided

Rehabilitative and restorative care is a program, not a place. It follows you into whichever setting is right for your recovery.

• At home - Delivered through home and community care, where your recovery can be supported safely at home.
• In a continuing care home - In specialized units within supportive living or long-term care settings.
• In acute care - In specialized rehabilitation units within a hospital, often before a transfer home or to community care.

Who provides your care

Care is delivered by a team matched to your needs, which may include Registered nurses, Doctors, Pharmacists, Dietitians, Allied Health, and social workers.

Allied health

Allied health professionals support individuals across home care, supportive living, and continuing care through rehabilitation, nutrition, communication, and therapeutic services.

This includes:

• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech-language pathologists
• Recreational therapists
• Respiratory therapists

Social workers

Social workers support Albertans of all ages through assessment, counselling, crisis intervention, advocacy, and connecting people with needed services and supports. As a key part of ALA’s whole-person care model, social workers help ensure people receive the right care in the right place by addressing social barriers and linking them to community resources.

Wherever your care unit is located, you keep the same access to acute care assessment and diagnostic services.

Rehabilitative & restorative care services

Post-acute rehabilitation and community transition services help people recover and regain function outside of hospital, including home-based rehabilitation where appropriate.

Specialty Geriatric Services

Multidisciplinary teams provide comprehensive assessments and personalized care planning for older adults in clinics, community settings, homes, and continuing care facilities.