Rehabilitation and Therapy Services

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is treatment to restore, maintain and make the most of a person’s mobility, function, and well-being. Physiotherapy helps through physical rehabilitation, injury prevention, and health and fitness. Physiotherapists get you involved in your own recovery.

What do Physiotherapists do?

• Study the science of movement and learn how to pinpoint an injury’s root causes
• Focus on both prevention and rehabilitation
• Treatment can be for problems caused by injury, disease or disability

To find more information about Physiotherapy, visit the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario

Physio Clinics In and Out of Town

• BCHS Preferred Physiotherapy Clinics
• Out of Area Clinic Partners

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy is a type of healthcare intervention that helps people find ways to do daily activities that they need or want to do for greater independence or mental health in everyday life.

What do Occupational Therapists do?

Occupational therapists are regulated health care professionals who work with people to help them reach their best level of function and independence in their everyday life. They are an integral part of the health care team.

Various health issues can pose barriers to participating in daily activities. Occupational therapists help people to:

• Learn new way of doing things
• Regain skills and develop new ones
• Use materials or equipment that makes life easier, or
• Adapt their environment to work better for them.

These solutions help people to do as much as they can safely and effectively at home, at school, at work or in other settings.

The word “occupational” in occupational therapy can be misleading. Everyday activities, or “occupations,” can include things like dressing, cooking, working, or playing.

What is Recreational Therapy?

Recreation Therapy focuses on improving and maintaining quality of life during individuals’ hospital stay.

Recreation Therapists assist in restoring everyday functioning and meaningful living through cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual programs.

What do Recreation Therapists do?

Recreation Therapists use a patient-centered approach which provides the following benefits:

• Decreased responsive behaviours
• Reduced feelings of isolation and depression
• Improved mood and enjoyment
• Increased functional independence
• Increased confidence
• A greater sense of purpose and belonging

Recreation Therapists work with the healthcare team to set goals, provide one-on-one and group programs, and connect people with resources for when they return home.

Goal
To provide outpatient services for adults with acute neurological diagnoses in order to maximize their function and community reintegration.

Overview
The program provides an inter-professional client-centred remediative approach from a team of Physiatry, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Language Therapy, and Social Work.

Criteria
Adults with an acute neurological diagnosis/impairment; less than 1 year onset.

Click here to view the program criteria.

Acute Neuro (Stroke) Rehab Referral Form

Goal
To provide outpatient prosthetic rehabilitation to enable individuals with limb amputations to return to function in the community.

Overview
The program utilizes an inter-professional client-centred approach consisting of pre- and post-prosthetic education, support and training. Service include: Physiatry, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Assistant and Prosthetist.

Criteria
Adults, primarily with lower extremity amputation who are medically stable.

Amputee Program Referral Form

Goal

To provide outpatient prosthetic and orthotic services.

Overview

The program is affiliated with the Hamilton Health Sciences Chedoke Site and provides custom fitting for lower extremity amputations, braces and foot orthosis.

Criteria

Adults and children requiring a prosthetic or orthotic assessment and treatment.

Process

Physician referral is required. Please specify:

1. Prosthetist or
2. Orthotist

Goal
To provide outpatient services for adults with swallowing disorders.

Overview
This program provides consultation, clinical swallowing assessments, video fluoroscopic swallow studies (at SLP discretion), and treatment of swallowing disorders as clinically indicated.

Criteria
Minimum of 18 years old. Must be a resident of Brantford or surrounding areas. Patients out of the catchment area will not be accepted.

Process

A referral from a physician or nurse practitioner is required. See form below.

Speech Language Referral Form