Rehabilitation

At Cabrini, we know that having a medical condition, illness, injury or surgery can have a profound impact on your physical and emotional needs, and those of your family. Our rehabilitation team will help you through this challenging time and support you in achieving your health goals. 

Cabrini’s rehabilitation programs are designed to help you maximise your independence, function, mobility, and improve your emotional health. We offer a range of individual and group therapy programs in various settings including our hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and in the home. 

Our expert team of rehabilitation consultants includes: rehabilitation specialists, care coordinators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, nurses, neuropsychologists, psychologists and dietitians. We will work together with you to assess your condition and tailor a rehabilitation program that best suits your needs. 

We provide inpatient rehabilitation programs in our hospitals in Brighton and Malvern, and in our Elsternwick rehabilitation facility. These specialist facilities are equipped with a dedicated gym and therapy rooms. Our Elsternwick rehabilitation facility is also equipped with a hydrotherapy pool.

Our specialist rehabilitation clinicians and consultants will work with you to develop a tailored therapy program to help achieve your health goals. The focus of our inpatient program is to provide you with a safe, caring and comfortable environment to enable you to improve your quality of life. 

>> Click here to see Cabrini's inpatient rehabilitation programs

We offer the following inpatient rehabilitation programs:

• Chronic pain
• Degenerative diseases
• Joint replacement surgery
• Major general surgery
• Parkinson’s disease/movement disorders
• Preoperative deconditioning
• Spinal injury or surgery
• Strokes or other neurological conditions
• Transport or work accident
• Trauma due to accident or injury

For all enquiries and referral for Outpatient rehabilitation please contact ACCESS on (03) 9508 1700.

We offer a comprehensive range of individual and group therapy rehabilitation and chronic disease programs on an outpatient basis. Most of these programs are run at Cabrini’s Elsternwick Campus at 494 Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick. Our team provides a wide range of specialised services including: 

• Neurological Rehabilitation
• Parkinson’s Disease Program
• Reconditioning Program
• Falls & Balance Program
• Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Breast Cancer Program
• Pain Management Program
• Hydrotherapy
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Heart Failure Rehabilitation

Programs and Services

Neurological Rehabilitation
Through this service, patients with neurological conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, multiple sclerosis and brain tumours, are able to access specialist multidisciplinary assessment and therapy. Issues with dizziness or vertigo can be also be addressed by our allied health staff.

Parkinson's Program
The Cabrini Parkinson's Disease Program specialises in working with people with Parkinson's and similar movement disorders. The Parkinson's Program provides advice support and strategies for your Parkinson’s journey. First, we ask you about your biggest challenges. Then, a plan is designed to address your goals. This plan might include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, dietetics, social work, neuropsychology or more general advice and education. We also offer a six week group program that provides exercise and education about Parkinson’s disease.

Reconditioning Program
Provides assessment and strategies to improve general health, wellbeing and function after a prolonged acute surgical or medical illness which has led to a period of inactivity and consequent loss of strength and fitness.  Rehabilitation is also offered to patients awaiting surgery to enhance pre-surgical health and functioning.

Falls and Balance Program
The program provides specialist assessment and management of falls and fear of falling; with  rehabilitation to improve balance, mobility and strength for patients that are at risk of falls, or have recently experienced injury after a fall.

Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
This program is intended for patients who have chronic musculoskeletal conditions or require rehabilitation post-surgical intervention. Rehabilitation is provided post joint replacement and spinal surgery, to manage arthritis, sprains and strains, and many other musculoskeletal conditions.

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Program
A specialised program is available for women with localised breast cancer involving guided exercise and education in a supportive group environment. Issues such as fatigue, weakness, returning to previous exercise and activities, and emotional wellbeing are addressed in relation to the management and treatment of this type of cancer.

Pain Management Program
An individually tailored program for patients with persistent pain has been established. The chronic pain team aims to support patients to learn self-management techniques, to reduce pain levels, improve function and optimise psychological wellbeing. This program involves education and empowerment for self-management, gentle exercises, sleep strategies, dietary advice, strategies for efficient management of daily activities, posture training, psychological support, relaxation and mindfulness training and hydrotherapy 

>> Read more [PDF]

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
Pulmonary rehabilitation provides tailored care for patients with a chronic lung condition who experience shortness of breath limiting their participation in activities of normal life. 
This program offers exercise and education sessions in a group setting to improve quality of life, exercise tolerance and self-management strategies.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is offered at the Elsternwick site. The buoyancy and warmth of the water supports reduced pain and muscle spasm during exercise allowing greater range of movement. The resistance provided by the water can also be used for strengthening exercises as part of a rehabilitation program.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehabilitation is offered to patients who have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease, or who have had a recent admission to hospital because of their cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack, an angioplasty or bypass surgery. Cardiac rehabilitation involves attending a group program for exercise and education/support. The program is individually tailored to each patient’s ability and stage of recovery, and can help them to return to their normal activities. Taking part in a program like this has been shown to reduce the recurrence of issues relating to cardiovascular disease by up to 35 per cent.

Heart Failure Rehabilitation

This program is run alongside the cardiac rehabilitation program and involves exercise and education providing strategies to support you managing this condition well to maximise your health and wellbeing.

Referrals

A doctor to doctor referral is required to access our services. This can be done using our referral form or by letter. 

All referrals are managed by our Access Unit:

Ph: (03) 9508 1700 | Fax: (03) 9508 1455 | Email: access@cabrini.com.au

Hours of Operation: Office Hours: 9 am - 5 pm

>> Cabrini in the Community - Editable referral form [PDF]

>> Cabrini in the Community - Referral form [PDF]

We understand that some patients find it more convenient to receive rehabilitation services in the comfort of their home. This is why we offer patients the opportunity to receive first-class rehabilitation care in the home.

Patients who are eligible for treatment at home can access it as a stand-alone service, or as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Some of the rehabilitation services we commonly offer in the home setting include:

• reconditioning programs to help patients with general weakness
• therapies for people recovering from stroke, or living with Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
• rehabilitation for patients who have had joint replacements, spinal surgery or fractures
• programs to help people with reduced balance or who have had a fall