Services & Departments

The McKellar Centre offers client focused, goal directed, specialist interdisciplinary brain injury rehabilitation for inpatients, outpatients and in the community.

Brain injury refers to any trauma or insult to the brain. It may be caused by accidents occurring on the road, at work, on the sporting field, falls or assaults. It can include brain tumours and some brain diseases.

At the McKellar Centre there is an emphasis on attaining life roles, such as returning to study or work, engaging in recreation and social activities. Services are offered in new purpose built buildings on a large garden site. People both with and without compensation (e.g. TAC and Workcover) are eligible for these services.

Staff

The service is staffed by people with qualifications, experience and understanding of the particular needs of people with brain injuries and their families. The team includes

• Rehabilitation nurses
• Consultant physicians in rehabilitation medicine
• Physiotherapists,
• Occupational therapists
• Recreational therapist
• Speech pathologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Clinical psychologists
• Social workers

The therapy team helps people get back to living in the community. We work with people and their families to achieve individual goals that may include re-establishing social and leisure activities, return to study, work and driving. We support people and their families adjusting to the changes in their lives. Where necessary, we work closely with other agencies and train carers and family members. We offer ongoing review and support after discharge.

Assessment and therapy are offered on an individual basis as well as through group programmes. Some of the groups offered are brain injury information and discussion sessions, community access group, circuit group, running retraining group, bike re-education, hydrotherapy and carer's support groups.

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service is integrated into the suite of rehabilitation services at Barwon Health and accesses other services as necessary.