citizen service

People with disabilities and people at risk of disability are entitled to medical rehabilitation or REHA for short.

Rehabilitation serves to avert, eliminate, reduce or compensate for disabilities, including chronic diseases. The rehabilitation measures are intended to improve the quality of life. Rehabilitation helps to avoid restrictions on earning capacity and the need for care. If possible, people can pursue a profession again or continue to do so after rehabilitation. They should not be dependent on social benefits.

Medical rehabilitation services include:

• treatment by doctors, dentists and members of other health professions, including guidance to develop their own healing powers,

• Early detection and early intervention for children with disabilities and children at risk of disability,

• medicines and dressings,

• remedies including physical, speech and occupational therapy,

• Psychotherapy

• Aids

• Stress testing and occupational therapy.

In case of disability or chronic illness:

• Medical, psychological and educational assistance, insofar as these services are required in individual cases

• Assistance to support the processing of illness and disability,

• Help to activate self-help potentials,

• Information and advice to partners and relatives as well as superiors and colleagues, if the beneficiaries agree,

• Mediation of contacts to local self-help and counselling opportunities,

• Help for mental stabilization and the promotion of social competence, among other things through training of social and communicative skills and in dealing with crisis situations