Competent Care for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury and Dysfunction in Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation

This paper describes the resources needed to provide competent care for people with spinal cord injury or dysfunction during their initial acute rehabilitation admission. Comprehensive rehabilitation services must include a highly specialized interdisciplinary approach that addresses medical, physiologic, functional, psychological, and social issues. Communication and collaboration among team members are crucial for successful rehabilitation of the patient with SCI/D.

• 1
  SCI care involves more than treating just the medical and physiologic consequences of the injury.
• 2
  The frequency of medical complications in SCI is inversely proportional to the quality of care available at the treatment facility.
• 3
  Education and counseling related to sexuality and fertility following SCI/D should be a part of any program providing competent care.