Athritis Rehabilitation & Education

What is the Arthritis Rehabilitation & Education Program (AREP)?

The Arthritis Rehabilitation & Education Program is a community-based rehabilitation service for people of all ages with arthritis. It began in 1950 and is provided by Arthritis Society health care professionals with advanced rheumatology training.

The Arthritis Society has now partnered with 29 family health teams and other health care centers to provide this specialized care within communities across Ontario.  Here at the Georgian Bay Family Health Team are pleased to welcome Diane McGall, OT, once per month to deliver these services to our patients.

Who are we?

We are Arthritis Society physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers trained in the assessment
and management of arthritis.

What can you expect?

Our goal is to help people with arthritis to minimize the impact of this chronic disease on their lives. We coach
clients and teach them skills to maximize their independence, enhance their mobility and improve their self-
esteem and self-confidence.

What we do:

By scheduling an appointment with our therapists. you can learn about

• how to deal with pain
• arthritis medications
• exercises to reduce stiffness, increase strength and improve fitness
• how to feel less tired
• new ways to do activities that will minimize stress on your joints
• ways to cope with the emotional impact of arthritis
• how your family can help you
• the questions you should ask your health care team
• ways to adapt your home or workplace
• how other services in your community can help

How do you book an appointment to see a therapist?

To book an appointment for an assessment, you can ask your physician for a referral to The Arthritis Society or
you can refer yourself if you have a confirmed diagnosis of arthritis. Please see the contact information for The
Arthritis Society on the back of this page.

What is the cost for this service?

The Arthritis Society is able to provide individual service to
participants at no charge, thanks to funding provided by government grants from the Ontario Ministry of Health
and Long-Term Care. Educational materials are funded through the generosity of corporate and individual donors.

Questions about arthritis? We can Help.

Arthritis information line

We can provide information on:

• over 100 forms of arthritis
• our community arthritis programs and services
• upcoming events
• specially trained arthritis therapists
• our FREE arthritis registry

Call: 1-800-321-1433

Email: info@on.arthritis.ca

Visit www.arthritis.ca

For a list of helpful links on Arthritis please visit our links page.