Arm and hand rehabilitation for persons who have had a cerebrovascular accident
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Arm and hand rehabilitation for persons who have had a cerebrovascular accident is intended for adults aged 18 or over who need special help with training arm and hand movement after an ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction) or a non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage. Rehabilitation is offered in the form of group rehabilitation. The group meets on the service provider’s premises.
The rehabilitation course is free of charge.
Who is the rehabilitation course for?
Arm and hand rehabilitation for persons who have had a cerebrovascular accident is suited for adults aged 18 or over
- who need special help with training arm and hand movement after an ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction) or a non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage
- whose stroke or haemorrhage happened at least 3 months but less than 3 years before the rehabilitation course begins
- who were discharged to home care or to an assisted living facility at least one month before the rehabilitation course begins
- who are able to function independently enough to, for example, move around on the service provider’s premises without needing constant assistance
- who are able to participate in a rehabilitation programme for about 5 hours a day
- who are able to move their paralysed upper limb and extend their wrist and fingers. Any spasticity of the paralysed upper limb or severe pain that stops you from moving the limb must have been treated before you apply to the course.
This rehabilitation course is not suited for persons
- who have language-related symptoms that may make it difficult for them to understand the instructions given during the rehabilitation course
- who suffer from a functional impairment that is or perceptual problems that are so significant or who tire so easily that it makes rehabilitation difficult
- whose condition is so severe that they cannot participate in rehabilitation.
Aim of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation will help you recover from your condition and regain agency. The aim of this rehabilitation course is to
- teach you ways to understand and manage the challenges and practical difficulties caused by your condition
- support your self-rehabilitation, which means rehabilitation you do yourself in your daily life
- give you more resources and better capabilities to manage your daily life and participate in society.
The rehabilitation course also offers you the opportunity to get support from your peers and share your experiences with others.
How rehabilitation works
Rehabilitation is offered in the form of group rehabilitation. The group meets on the service provider’s premises. The rehabilitation course lasts for 15 days, and it is divided into 2 periods (10 days + 5 days).
You can stay overnight at the rehabilitation facility or travel there from home each day. The facility offers accommodation in two-person rooms (double rooms). If you want to stay in a single room, you can ask the service provider if they have single rooms available. You have to pay the extra costs of staying in a single room yourself.
At the end of the first rehabilitation period, an adult family member or friend aged 18 or over can join you and accompany you for 3 days. They will usually stay in the same double room with you.
During the rehabilitation course, you will work in small groups, participate in group discussions and have one-on-one meetings with rehabilitation experts.
The rehabilitation course also includes personalised, intensive and effective arm and hand rehabilitation exercises that are done daily in pairs or small groups.
The rehabilitation needs and goals of each participant are taken into account.
The service provider will contact you before the rehabilitation course begins, after the first rehabilitation period is over and after you have completed both rehabilitation periods.
The rehabilitation course is offered in Finnish. If you speak Swedish or one of the Sámi languages, Kela will provide an interpreter for you.
The experts involved in your rehabilitation
The following experts will plan and manage your rehabilitation programme:
- a specialist in neurology
- a registered nurse or occupational health nurse
- 2 occupational therapists
- a physiotherapist.
Depending on your individual needs, other rehabilitation professionals and assisting personnel may also take part.
How to apply
This rehabilitation can be granted either as discretionary rehabilitation or as intensive medical rehabilitation.
- You need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) issued by a doctor or some other statement on your health if you want to apply for discretionary rehabilitation. For example, you can submit a copy of your medical history (sairauskertomus). The medical statement B or health statement must be dated within the past year.
- If you want to apply for intensive medical rehabilitation, you must submit a rehabilitation plan (kuntoutussuunnitelma) that a doctor who works in public healthcare has drawn up for you.
The medical statement B, health statement or rehabilitation plan must state what condition you have that qualifies you for rehabilitation, how well you can function, what kind of rehabilitation is recommended for you and why.
If you are not sure which type of rehabilitation you should apply for, please ask the doctor in charge of your care.
If you apply for discretionary rehabilitation, we will contact you if you may have the right to intensive medical rehabilitation instead.
Once you have a medical statement B, a health statement or a rehabilitation plan, do as follows:
- Complete the application form for discretionary rehabilitation KU 132 (PDF, in Finnish) or the application form for intensive medical rehabilitation KU 104 (PDF, in Finnish).
- Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
- Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
- Tell us in the application which service provider’s rehabilitation you want to participate in. You can use Kela’s rehabilitation course search (in Finnish and Swedish only) to look up service providers. Type kädenkäytön kuntoutus (arm and hand rehabilitation) in the search field.
- Save the completed application form on your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
- Send the application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
- Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (File an application).
- First select Sairastaminen ja kuntoutus (Sickness and rehabilitation). Then select Kuntoutus – tee hakemus (Rehabilitation – Submit an application). Finally, select either Harkinnanvarainen kuntoutus (Discretionary rehabilitation) or Vaativa lääkinnällinen kuntoutus (Intensive medical rehabilitation).
- If you send your application to Kela in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
- If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.
- If you are applying for discretionary rehabilitation, send us a copy of your medical statement B or health statement as a supporting document with your application.
- If you are applying for intensive medical rehabilitation, send us a copy of your rehabilitation plan as a supporting document with your application.
- Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application. We will also send the decision notice to the rehabilitation service provider. This tells the service provider that Kela will pay for your rehabilitation, and the service provider will reserve a place for you on the rehabilitation course.
If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Apply for rehabilitation
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
Let us know if you cannot attend rehabilitation
Remember to tell Kela immediately if you cannot participate in the rehabilitation course. Let us know that you have to cancel by sending a message to us in the OmaKela e-service or by calling our customer service number for rehabilitation clients.
We recommend that you also contact the service provider to let them know you have to cancel.
Check if you can get rehabilitation allowance and travel cost reimbursements
Kela pays rehabilitation allowance to give you financial security during rehabilitation. Kela may also reimburse you for rehabilitation-related travel costs.