My husband has had a massive Haemorrhagic stroke & Cranioectomy, now looking at Rehab

So sorry to hear your situation. 

If you have private health insurance, you may can choose either private of public rehab but there will be many things to consider:  will there be a longer wait to get into public?  (if so, transitional care may be required between the acute hospital setting & getting into rehab).  For private, what the out of pocket expenses are, is it affordable for your situation?  How many days will the health fund cover you for?  Would this be long enough for what he may need?  How far from your home - you will be travelling there a lot.  If your husband is in a private hospital at the moment, ask if there is a Case Manager or someone else to assist with this matter.  A Case Manager would know the rehabs in the area, what they specialise in, what length stay they offer.  Your medical team can give their estimate on length of stay required at rehab (although everyone recovers at their own speed). 

There is no right or wrong decision. 

I wish you well for this journey.

Hello Mary,

Thank you for reaching out to the Stroke Foundation. We are sorry to hear about your husband’s stroke.

Bea has mentioned a number of valid things to consider. Generally in terms of rehabilitation it will depend on how severe the stroke is as to what options may be most suitable. It is case by case and the treating team at the hospital will advise you along the way of the most appropriate option.

The type of rehabilitation your husband is going to receive will be informed by his individual needs and goals. There are three types of rehabilitation and he may end up requiring all three:

• Inpatient rehabilitation at a hospital (either public or private depending on individual circumstances).
• In-home rehabilitation – your team provides therapy in your home.
• Community or outpatient rehabilitation – you visit a centre or hospital for therapy while living at home.

If you do have private health insurance, you can be assessed by a team from a private rehabilitation hospital. You can let the team know and discuss options with them. We encourage you to learn as much as you can about the type and amount of therapy offered by the different providers so you can make the best decision. The team are there to guide you.

We encourage you to read our page on getting good healthcare. This provides information on how to navigate the health care system and what will be most suitable for you. You may also be interested in reading our page on rehabilitation. We also have a great stroke recovery resource call My Stroke Journey. Your husband may have received a copy but if he hasn’t let us know and we can post one out as well.

If you would like further information or to talk to a health professional about public versus private and your husband’s specific situation, please do not hesitate to call us on StrokeLine at 1800 787 653.

Best wishes

Simone and Meredith

StrokeLine