L'unité mobile d'évaluation et de suivi des handicaps du CRMPR « Les Herbiers » (Umesh 76)

In agreement with the objectives of the SROS 2000-2004, “Les Herbiers”, the regional center of physical medicine and rehabilitation located in Bois-Guillaume, created in September 2001 a mobile unit for evaluation and follow-up of disabled persons (Umesh 76). This unit is composed of a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) physician, two occupational therapists and a medical secretary. The unit's mission is to estimate patient needs for education and rehabilitation, and to provide advice in the event a referral would be useful. The unit is mobile attending patients at their current residence (home, institution, hospital department without a PMR unit). The team works in close cooperation with the patient, the health care professionals in charge of the patient and the health care providers. The team attends to any person presenting an associated physical and/or neuropsychological handicap (irrespective of age). Since its creation, the Umesh 76 has attended to more than 1500 persons. Eighty percent of them presented a neurological condition. The demands for intervention have concerned evaluations of needs for activities of daily living, advice concerning care in a PMR unit and choice of technical aids for the home. The rapidly growing activity of this unit in a region where no similar service existed before highlights what was an effectively latent demand. Implementation of this mobile unit responded to a real need.