Recover from knee or hip replacement surgery at home

An extensive rehabilitation program carried out in hospital or a specialised centre is sometimes required after you’ve had joint replacement surgery.

To give eligible Medibank members greater choice and flexibility post-surgery, Medibank has created a program that allows you to have your rehab recovery at home after a partial or total hip or knee joint replacement.

How Rehab at Home works

Delivered across Australia^{^}, Medibank’s Rehab at Home program gives you the option to recover from your hip or knee replacement surgery in the comfort of your own home where your treating doctor considers it clinically appropriate. If you’re interested in having rehab at home, contact Medibank on 1300 733 338 to check your eligibility for the program.

As a case study, let’s meet Ken – a father and grandfather from Melbourne.

A few years ago, Ken had a left total knee replacement. So, when the time came for a right knee replacement, Ken had the choice to do his post-surgery rehab recovery in the hospital or at home with Medibank’s Rehab at Home^{^} service. After weighing up his options and after discussing with his doctor what was appropriate for him, he chose to complete his rehab in the comfort of his own home.

Ken worked with a physio, practising exercises around the house – doing squats while washing the dishes or walking up and down the steps to his back porch. But Rehab at Home can include much more than physio. Depending on your needs, the program can include occupational therapy and nursing as well as personal care such as help with showering, domestic assistance and meals.

Ken was relieved he could undergo his knee replacement recovery in the comfortable and familiar surrounds of home, and not having to inconvenience his family to take him to his rehab appointments. It gave him back the freedom to spend more time at home doing what he loves, like working in his backyard.

Treatment plans are based on individual members’ needs. Medibank funds the cost of your Rehab at Home treatment plan and care package. However, if you need additional treatment, such as scans or a follow-up with your health professional(s), there may be some related out-of-pocket expenses. As with any treatment, it’s best to call us on 1300 733 338 first to check what’s included in your cover.

What else does Medibank at Home offer?

Rehab at Home is part of a range of other trials and programs that give eligible members the choice of whether they receive care in a hospital or in the comfort of their own homes (when their doctor considers it clinically appropriate). Medibank at Home programs include Hospital at Home and Heart Health at Home, while current trials include Infusions at Home, Palliative Care at Home, Chemo at Home and Dialysis at Home^~.