Physiotherapists as rehabilitation professionals are frontline healthcare professionals and should be engaged in the care of patients suffering from severe cases of COVID-19
There are patients who physically recovered after infection and were considered “cured” and non-infectious and have tested positive again at a later stage.
Some complications even lead to the person being admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The aftershock resulting from this long ICU period will be felt for many months and years.
This needs to be considered as patients who have recovered from the acute effects of COVID-19 will still need further rehabilitation.
COVID-19 is predicted to challenge current health services with many more patients needing longer-term complex rehabilitation. Unfortunately, many people with residual problems after COVID-19 are unlikely to receive rehabilitation assessment, advice, and treatments. One reason is the sustained lack of any interest in paying for private rehabilitation.
Some patients move from one health clinic to another as they exceed their current capacity of rehabilitation. More importantly, many patients will present with a mixture of cardio-respiratory, mental health, and neuromuscular problems. Currently this would mean attending at least two separately healthcare centers.
This leads to patients being discharged sooner than would normally be the case. Rehabilitation is a key health service to ensure that patients do not deteriorate after discharge and require readmission.
For patients entering post COVID-19 rehabilitation at HOPE 360 Health Center, the main benefits are:
- Ensuring that every patient is seen integrally from the outset
- Providing complete rehabilitation across all ages and conditions
- Ensuring full integration between mental health and physical rehabilitation
- Encompassing experienced health professionals
Our offered rehabilitation may benefit anyone with a longer-term disabling illness at any stage of that illness and is delivered in a carefully managed setting.
The goal of our multidisciplinary team is to optimize a patient’s quality of life and degree of social integration, minimizing pain and distress, and optimizing the ability to adapt and respond with independence in daily activities.