Where does rehabilitation take place?

Rehabilitation is a process. It can take place at a variety of points in someone’s care and in a variety of settings, including:

• In hospital – for individuals who are patients in a community, acute teaching or rehabilitation hospital.
• Outpatient/ambulatory – for individuals who can travel to the hospital or a community-based program for each rehabilitation session.
• Home/community – for individuals who can travel to a community-based clinic to receive their rehabilitation. Or, the rehabilitation professional comes to the individual’s home/place of residence, usually because the person cannot travel.

Individuals may receive rehabilitation in more than one setting. For example, they may begin with inpatient rehab during a hospital stay and then transfer to outpatient/ambulatory or home-based rehab services following discharge from hospital.

Who pays for rehabilitation?

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) covers the cost of inpatient rehabilitation care.

Rehabilitation that takes place in an outpatient clinic, the home or the community may be covered by OHIP, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, automobile insurance or private disability insurance.

There are also private fee-for-service clinics in the community that provide rehabilitation services, e.g., physiotherapy.

How do I find rehabilitation services?

If you need rehabilitation after you leave hospital, a doctor usually arranges for outpatient rehabilitation in a hospital-based program/clinic/service (a referral is made).

For home-based rehabilitation services, a referral may be made by a health professional or the individual may contact home and community care programs directly.

There are also private fee-for-service clinics in the community that provide rehabilitation services, e.g., physiotherapy. A referral is not required.

Rehab Finder is a tool to help patients, families and health professionals find rehabilitation programs in the Greater Toronto Area. The Rehabilitative Care in Ontario website can also help you find local rehabilitative care services and programs in the GTA and across the province.