General Considerations

Peer support and contact with others who have a SCI can be extremely important in helping a person adjust to the injury. Peer support is generally most helpful and accepted when people share similar problems and issues. This is an especially important consideration when choosing programs for women. It is often difficult for women to find peer support because the incidence of SCI among women is much lower than it is for men.

1. Are the beds for people with SCI in the same area of the facility?
2. Are there people in the SCI program of the same age and sex as the person considering admission?
3. Do the people in the SCI program have similar levels and kinds of spinal cord injury e.g., Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, incomplete and complete?
4. What is the average number of people admitted annually to the SCI program? (program staff should treat people with SCI on a regular basis to acquire and maintain expertise.)
5. Is the SCI program accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)? Has it been designated as a Model Spinal Cord Injury Center by the National Institute of Disability Research and Rehabilitation (NIDRR)? Is the SCI program part of a SCI rehabilitation system operated by the state?
6. Are there treatment specialists in the SCI program who speak the primary language of the individual seeking treatment?
7. Will the treatment team develop a rehabilitation plan with both short and long term goals?
8. Will an experienced case manager be assigned to help family members obtain medical payments and other benefits from public and private insurance?
9. Will a team member be assigned to coordinate treatment and act as a contact for staff and family members?

1. Is the physician in charge a Physiatrist? If not, what credentials does he/she have? How long has the physician in charge been directing programs specializing in SCI?
2. Is there physician coverage seven days a week? Twenty-four hours a day?
3. Do the regular nursing staff and other specialists responsible for providing treatment in the SCI program have specific training in treating SCI? Is the nursing staff employed by the hospital or employed through an outside agency?
4. Does the program ensure the availability of rehabilitation nursing and respiratory care on a twenty-four hour basis?
5. Are there consultants available at the facility or nearby medical centers? These should include neurosurgery, neurology, urology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, neuropsychology, internal medicine, gynecology, speech pathology, pulmonary medicine, general surgery and psychiatry.
6. How often and for how long each day will participants get treatment by specialists such as occupational and physical therapists? Treatment should be no less then three hours per day.
7. Are other specialties such as driver education, rehabilitation engineering, chaplaincy, and therapeutic recreation available if needed?
8. Are activities planned for SCI program participants on weekends and evenings?
9. How much time is spent teaching SCI program participants and their families about sexuality, bowel and bladder care, skin care and other essential self-care activities?
10. Does the SCI program offer training in the management and hiring of personal care assistants? If so, how much time is spent by staff on this topic?