Health · England
Rehabilitation and everyday life
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Rehabilitation means support with skills and daily life.
It can help after illness or injury.
Different kinds of help
Rehabilitation can help with moving, talking, thinking and daily tasks.
It may help you keep skills or find new ways to do things.
Your goals matter
Tell your team what you want to do.
This could be a hobby, seeing friends or making a meal.
Agree small steps
Choose goals with your team.
Ask how you will work towards them.
Everyone’s progress is different.
Different people may help
Therapists, doctors and other workers may help you.
Ask each person what they do.
Ask about referrals
Ask the hospital team what support is arranged before you leave.
At home, ask your GP or health team about rehabilitation.
Ask for a clear plan
Ask for words or pictures you understand.
You can ask for more time, breaks or communication support.
Ask who you can contact for help.
Equipment and help at home
Equipment or changes to your home may help.
Ask someone to show you safe ways to use equipment.
Ask your council about care support.
Decisions and support
Staff should explain your options and listen to your choices.
Involve people you want to help you.
Family carers can ask about help for themselves.
Check how things are going
Tell your team what helps and what is difficult.
Ask when your plan will be reviewed.
Ask how to get help again if your needs change.
What you can do next
Ask what rehabilitation could help you.
Choose goals based on what matters to you.
Read about NHS support after hospital Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- NHS: care to support recovery after hospital Web page
Assessment, agreed goals, practical support and planning what happens next.
- NHS: occupational therapy Web pageVideo
Help with everyday tasks and routes to assessment.
- Headway: treatment and rehabilitation Web page
Information about rehabilitation and ongoing care after brain injury.
- NHS: carer’s assessments Web page
Support needs of adults who provide unpaid care.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Rehabilitation: support with everyday life
Understand rehabilitation, choose meaningful goals and plan coordinated support after illness or injury.
Adults · England · General information
What rehabilitation is for
Rehabilitation can support movement, communication, thinking, emotional wellbeing and everyday activities. It may help after illness or injury, or with a long-term condition. It can involve learning new ways to do things, maintaining abilities or adapting to changes. Progress differs between people. Rehabilitation is wider than exercise and does not promise a complete return to how life was before.
Choose goals that matter to you
Start with activities you want or need to do, such as making a drink, communicating a choice, seeing friends or returning to work. Assessment should consider your strengths, health, home and support needs. Agree realistic steps towards your goals. Learning or communication difficulties are reasons to adapt rehabilitation, not to leave you out.
Understand who can help
A team may include a physiotherapist for movement, an occupational therapist for daily activities, and a speech and language therapist for communication or swallowing. A neuropsychologist may assess thinking, memory, feelings and behaviour after a brain injury. Doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers and rehabilitation assistants may also contribute. The team depends on your needs; ask who is responsible for each part.
Ask how to access services
Before leaving hospital, ask what rehabilitation is needed, what has been referred and who will contact you. If you are already at home, speak to your GP, treating team or existing rehabilitation contact. Local NHS community and specialist referral routes vary. Ask the council about a care needs assessment for daily support. Do not assume a hospital referral automatically arranges every service.
Make an accessible, coordinated plan
Ask for a plan you can understand. It should describe your goals, the agreed support, who will provide it and when reviews will happen. Agree how appointments, practice and rest fit your needs. Ask who will coordinate different services and whom to contact if something is unclear. Tell the team if fatigue, pain, distress or transport makes participation difficult.
Use equipment and practical support safely
Equipment, communication aids or changes to your home may help. Ask for assessment of what suits your body, activities and surroundings. Request a demonstration, safe-use advice and details of who handles repairs. Family or carers should receive any training they need for agreed support. Ask about funding before buying equipment. Report pain, damage or equipment that no longer helps.
Keep consent and carer needs in view
Staff should explain options, likely benefits, risks and alternatives so you can decide. Involve people you choose. A brain injury or learning disability does not automatically remove your ability to consent. Any capacity assessment must concern the particular decision. Discuss what family carers can realistically provide, and ask the council about a separate carer’s assessment where appropriate.
Review progress and changing needs
Review what is helping, what is difficult and whether your goals still fit. A different approach or additional support may be needed. Before a service ends, ask what happens next, who remains your contact and how to request another assessment. Report new or worsening health problems promptly rather than waiting for a planned review. Longer-term social care and rehabilitation may use different assessment and funding routes.
Words you could use
“Please help me choose goals that matter to me. I need a clear plan, a named contact and information I can understand.”
More useful links
- NHS: care to support recovery after hospital Web page
Assessment, agreed goals, practical support and planning what happens next.
- NHS: occupational therapy Web pageVideo
Help with everyday tasks and routes to assessment.
- Headway: treatment and rehabilitation Web page
Information about rehabilitation and ongoing care after brain injury.
- NHS: carer’s assessments Web page
Support needs of adults who provide unpaid care.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 9 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- NICE NG252: rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders Web page
Published 15 October 2025. Applies to its specified neurological conditions, including acquired brain injury; adult stroke rehabilitation is covered separately.
- NICE NG252: assessing needs and goal setting Web page
Goals based on the person’s priorities, accessible assessment and planning for hospital discharge.
- NICE NG252: rehabilitation planning and delivery Web page
Coordinated plans, named contacts, review and access when needs change.
- NICE NG236: stroke rehabilitation in adults Web page
Meaningful goals, accessible participation and review after an adult stroke.
- NHS: care to support recovery after hospital Web page
Practical support, equipment, team roles and planning ongoing care. Short-term recovery support is not the whole of rehabilitation.
- Central London Community Healthcare NHS: neuro-rehabilitation Web page
Example of professional roles and local referral routes. Eligibility and arrangements vary by area.
- NHS: occupational therapy Web pageVideo
Assessment of everyday activities and NHS or council access.
- NHS: consent to treatment Web pageFuller information
Voluntary, informed decisions about treatment and the right to refuse where the person has capacity.
- NHS: Mental Capacity Act Web pageFuller information
Capacity relates to a particular decision; support must be provided to help people decide.
- NHS: carer’s assessments Web page
Separate assessment of an unpaid adult carer’s support needs.
- NHS: getting a care needs assessment Web page
Assessment of longer-term care and the distinction between needs and financial assessments.