Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation

What we do

The ABI Rehabilitation service has 42 single-bed rooms, designed to be comfortable for people while undertaking rehabilitation as an inpatient.

The service supports rehabilitation to meet the needs of people with severe brain injuries resulting from trauma, stroke and other medical causes of acquired brain injury.

The service offers a range of specialised features as part of the following areas:

Ward environment

The ward environment within the service contains lounges, dining and activity rooms to support socialisation and daily group programs that are held for therapy and recreation activities. There is a family lounge which is a dedicated space to ensure family and other carers are also well-supported, educated and engaged with the rehabilitation program.

There are also three internal courtyards which feature a horticultural garden, sports facility including basketball court and table tennis as well as the unit BBQ.

Interdisciplinary rehabilitation and therapy area

This tailored area provides best practice interdisciplinary rehabilitation where all specialist disciplines will work on supporting people to achieve their rehabilitation goals. This area is for both inpatient and outpatient therapy.

The features:

The mini-mobility courtyard is a place where patients can practice navigating a range of different outdoor surfaces, with the support of a therapist
A gym and rehabilitation kitchen
Technology room – where assistive technology can be prescribed, trialled, and utilised for rehabilitation and independence
Multiple consulting and interview spaces plus group therapy and meeting rooms

Discharge preparation suite

The centre includes a supported environment on the ward with separate lounge, laundry and kitchen. This area assists people to practice daily living and social skills before leaving the hospital environment. People are able to practice skills for building independence with the support of allied health and nursing staff.

Commonly asked questions

What is an acquired brain injury?

In Victoria, it is estimated that more than 70,000 people live with an acquired brain injury – as many as half need ongoing daily support.

Brain injury can be caused by blockages to the blood supply or bleeding in the brain, such as stroke or the impact of injuries where oxygen supply to the brain is impaired. It is also commonly caused when trauma is experienced, such as a hard knock to the head following a car accident, assault or other blunt trauma.

Making a difference to the independence of people who acquire a brain injury is a key goal of the Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre.

The consequences of brain injury are many and varied. The impact can result in the following changes:

Neurological impairment: Affecting a person’s motor skills or sensory experiences – including smell and touch, hearing, vision or taste
Motor function impairment: This may cause changes in coordination, balance, walking, hand function, speech or swallowing
Sleep disturbance: Sleep can be difficult or interrupted, with some individuals experiencing insomnia or fatigue
Swallowing impairments: May require a feeding tube or texture modified diets
Medical complications: Post-traumatic epilepsy, brain swelling, irregular bone formation, respiratory issues, increased muscle tone (spasticity), sexual dysfunction
Cognitive impairment: Memory impairment, impaired reasoning judgement and safety awareness, problems in planning, organising, and making decisions, difficulty with new learning, attention and concentration; reduced speed and flexibility of thought processing; impaired problem solving, impaired self-monitoring and insight

Communication and language problems: May include difficulty finding words, impaired reading and writing skills, impaired numerical processing skills, or difficulty with comprehension or understanding new concepts
Impaired social and coping skills: Like many of the changes, impaired social skills can lead to reduced self-esteem
Altered emotional control: Poor frustration tolerance and anger management; denial, and self-centredness
Mental health issues: Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, personality and other behavioural changes

Apathy: Individuals may find it difficult to become motivated and experience apathy

How to access this service

Contact us directly

Rehab and Aged Care Consultancy Service (RACCS) is responsible for intake, information and referral processing for a wide range of community and ambulatory services.

Family, carers, case managers and patients can contact the RACCS to access our services.

Once a referral has been received, a Rehab Coordinator will be in touch with the referrer to discuss the patient's needs and organise appropriate services. We aim to have an outcome of the referral within 3 business days.

Call RACCS on (03) 9076 6575

What to bring

Every time you come

Medicare card
Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)
Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
Previous X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
Medicines you need to take while you are here
Medications list (or the boxes), including over-the-counter supplements (e.g. herbal supplements, vitamins)
Glasses, hearing aids, or mobility aids, as needed

For overnight (or longer) rehabilitation stay

Comfortable day clothes, such as a tracksuit
Well-fitting, closed-toe styled shoes with firm grip soles. Do not wear open back, slip-on slippers
Personal hygiene items, such as shampoo, shaving cream, shaver, toothpaste and deodorant