Partner Sites:
Frazier Rehab Institute/
    Jewish Hospital

Clark Memorial Hospital

Floyd Memorial Hospital
    and Health Services

Learn more about SIRH and our unique partnership

Family Teaching

The family or caregiver is a vital component to any patient's successful rehab. Although Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital prides itself on maximizing a patient's functional independence, for many patients, this independence is achieved through the support and caring of trained family members or caregivers.

The Role of Family in Rehab
The family plays a supportive role by helping their loved one to understand the need for such things as exercise, diet and lifestyle changes for adapting to new physical challenges or limitations. The family or caregiver also assists the rehab staff in determining ways to motivate and educate the patient they know the best. 

Purpose of Family Teaching in Rehab
Family Teaching is an essential part of an effective rehab program. Members of the family and/or caregivers will follow the patient to each of their therapies on a scheduled family teaching day. This is an opportunity for the family to learn what the patient is able to do and how they can best care and assist the patient as they strive for discharge home. The amount of teaching needed before discharge will depend on the individual needs of the patient and their family. 

Role of the Case Manager
Each patient is assigned a Case Manager upon admission to SIRH as an inpatient. The Case Manager is the liaison between the family and the rehab staff to insure a smooth inpatient stay, and to help identify learning needs from the patient and family.

The Case Manager will be in contact with your family to schedule the teaching sessions. SIRH is mindful of the family's work schedule and the difficulty associated with taking time from work. Therefore, if your family is unable to come during the day, we offer two evenings each month that the therapy staff is available until 6:00 p.m. Notices of the evenings are posted at least a week in advance on the patients' room door. You may also speak with your Case Manager to find out when the evening teaching sessions are scheduled. 

Outpatient Education
For outpatients seen at SIRH, Family Teaching is a vital component of treatment if the patient will be requiring family assistance to reach their optimum potential. For Day Hospital patients, Family Teaching is scheduled as it is for inpatients. The outpatient Case Manager or the Nurse assigned to the Day Hospital program will facilitate teaching days. For outpatients seen with less frequency, the therapy staff will work with the family or caregiver to identify learning needs and address them as appropriate. 

At all times, the patient, family and/or caregiver is encouraged to ask staff questions regarding the care they or their family member is receiving. If the staff member is unable to answer the questions, then they will seek the appropriate personnel to insure that all issues are addressed in a timely manner.