Specialist rehabilitation services

Although most rehabilitation is general; there are also more specialised rehabilitation services available for specific health conditions.

Amputee specialist services

Health professional showing notes to a woman, who has had both legs amputated

Most metropolitan hospitals also offer general inpatient amputee rehabilitation services.

Specialised inpatient amputee rehabilitation service is provided by Royal Perth Hospital at its Shenton Park campus.

In addition, Shenton Park campus also provides outpatient amputee rehabilitation as well as an outreach service to support outpatient amputee rehabilitation services at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (external site) and Fremantle Hospital and Health Service (external site).

These services are provided by multidisciplinary teams that include a:

  • consultant rehabilitation physician
  • physiotherapist
  • social worker
  • clinical psychologist
  • podiatrist
  • occupational therapist.

Hospital health professionals will help you to refer your patient to specialised outpatient amputee rehabilitation services.

A complex care coordination service provides outreach pre-operative consultation services to advise and assist people to:

  • transition back to their community
  • continue their rehabilitation
  • connect with other metropolitan and regional WA services.

Contact

Call the Regional WA Complex Care Coordinator on (08) 9224 2076

Falls specialist service

This home-based service aims to prevent or reduce falls in older people by providing:

  • an individual home assessment to develop a falls prevention strategy to reduce the risk factors that contribute to falls
  • comprehensive falls assessment for older people presenting to emergency departments with a fall or falls related injuries, who are not admitted as an inpatient and do not require rehabilitation in the home
  • a coordinated approach; a partnership of the older person at risk of falls with their general practitioner, carers and relevant service providers.

Read more about WA falls specialist services.

Paediatric intensive rehabilitation

Young child smiling at a female health professional sitting opposite him

Paediatric intensive rehabilitation (known as iRehab) is a unique intensive outpatient rehabilitation service for children and adolescents, operating as a day unit at Perth Children's Hospital (external site).

The service specialises in rehabilitation for children with:

  • acquired brain injury
  • congenital or acquired spinal cord injury
  • musculoskeletal conditions
  • neurological disorders.

The iRehab team develops personalised programs to help children improve their functional outcomes, particularly around activities related to daily living.

Typically a program involves children attending the iRehab service 1 day a week, for approximately 6 to 8 weeks, for therapy from the multidisciplinary team.

The children’s carers are also encouraged to actively participate in the rehabilitation program.

The team maintains close links with leading national and international research and therapy programs.

Parkinson's specialist services

A specialist outpatient rehabilitation service for people living with Parkinson’s is available at:

North Metropolitan Parkinson's Service, Osborne Park Hospital

Patient will have access to:

  • specialist medical consultation
  • outpatient rehabilitation clinic
  • outreach mobile nursing service.
Stroke specialist services

Female health professional assisting older patient with arms exercises

Specialised inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation services are available in the Perth metropolitan area through:

  • Royal Perth Bentley Group
  • Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group
  • Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group
  • St John of God Midland Public Hospital

Stroke rehabilitation services in regional areas

In WA, 4 regions have developed resource centres with stroke coordinators to improve coordination of care for stroke patients:

  • South West region – Bunbury Hospital
  • Great Southern Region – Albany Hospital
  • Midwest region – Geraldton Hospital
  • Goldfields region – Kalgoorlie Hospital.

Specialised outpatient stroke rehabilitation clinics have also been established at these sites.

More information

Aged Care Programs and Planning Team
Address: PO Box 8172, Perth Business Centre, Perth WA 6849, Australia.

Last reviewed: 16-01-2023
Produced by

Subacute, Community and Aged Care Directorate