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Perched on a sunny terrace high above Bad Ragaz, about one and a half hours from Zürich, the Valens Rehab Centre has a capacity of 150 beds with staff of around 400. We specialise in the treatment of patients with functional impairments to the locomotor and nervous systems.
Our teams are committed to working together in the spirit of multidisciplinary cooperation, developing an individual rehabilitation programme based on proven scientific principles for each patient. This enables our patients to have the benefit of both our own research and the latest advances in medicine, combined with recognised healing treatments and the invaluable properties of the thermal water from the Tamina Gorge.
The Valens Rehab Centre enjoys an excellent reputation the world over and is one of the leading rehabilitation centres in Switzerland. This has been achieved through our professional expertise and experience, together with our patient-centred approach – these have always been the cornerstones of our work.
During your rehabilitation you will be offered psychosomatic support in connection with your treatment. Our psychosomatic service is open to all inpatients and outpatients who have been referred to one of our specialist departments.
Neurological rehabilitation
Early intervention neurological rehabilitation
Musculoskeletal rehabilitation
Our patients can take advantage of an extensive range of therapies, specifically tailored to the needs of the individual. We can offer a broad spectrum of therapies and a wide choice of specialists who are continuously developing their professional expertise. Our therapists will examine you in order to gain an understanding of your specific health problems and to develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
All our departments involved in your case work together with you to establish the rehabilitation goals that will enable you to make improvements as quickly as possible. In weekly, multidisciplinary visits, under the direction of the senior consultant, we check whether the chosen treatment path is the right one for you. Your therapy programmes are based on the latest scientific findings; we can offer treatment with the absolute state-of-the-art equipment and are committed to making our findings available to contribute to the future development of this equipment.
Our multidisciplinary treatment team also includes members of our social counselling staff who will be able to determine social issues affecting patients and their relatives, so that these can be included in the therapy during their stay.
In anticipation of the time when you leave the clinic you will be given advice on social security matters, as well as support with regard to your employment situation, return to work or employment opportunities, organisation of respite services, arranging further care with specialist services, organisation and funding of assistance equipment and much more. The aim is for you to be able to remain directly focussed on your path to recovery during your stay.
Our therapies and counselling services include:
The nursing care you receive is an equally important element of your recovery. As a patient of the Valens Clinics, you will receive targeted, individual support from the nursing team to encourage, maintain or regain your independence. Our guiding principle in this is: “as much help as you need, allowing as much independence as possible”.
We are guided by your needs and concerns which form the basis for holistic, needs-driven and professional rehabilitation care. Our care teams have sound professional expertise and work with everyone involved in the rehabilitation process across all disciplines and professions.
The nursing staff are consistently guided by standard concepts (kinesthetics, Bobath, Affolter, F.O.T.T.) and apply them specifically in personal hygiene, positioning support and transfers and providing support in everyday activities.
The care programme that is needed is planned and regularly evaluated on the basis of the case history and a regular assessment of your individual self-care index. We ensure you are actively involved in the care process, as we want you to feel comfortable with us.
We work on the basis of the following care concepts
For patients and their relatives, a stay in a clinic represents a step into the unknown and a significant departure from normal life. By putting our medical, therapeutic, nursing and human skills to good use, we aspire to making this challenging period something you can look back on as a good experience.
Our highly-trained, experienced staff are there for you round the clock: a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and therapists develops an individual programme for every patient and supports them throughout the recovery process – from the acute phase through to reintegration in their family, their profession and society.
You will be referred to the Valens Rehab Centre by your family doctor or specialist or your hospital. If your health insurance confirms cover, there is nothing else standing in the way of your admission. Your insurance will cover the cost of your stay with us, less your excess.
You do, of course, have the option of changing your treatment category. Privately insured patients, self-funded patients or those seeking to upgrade can enjoy more additional services in medical care, nursing and therapy and in the hotel services.
Your stay
We make every effort to make you feel at home during your stay. You are the central focus of all our rehabilitation work which means that you will be under the care of a team of qualified doctors, therapists and nurses, round the clock, to help you achieve and maintain your optimum level of independence.
Patient rooms
Each of our rooms is equipped with TV and radio, as well as a direct telephone connection. All television sets have a headphone socket, so you can bring your own headphones or buy them at Reception. All rooms have shower/WC or bath/WC and command a beautiful view over the mountains or surrounding countryside.
Patients with statutory health insurance will stay in spacious, well-appointed rooms for two, three or four, whereas privately insured patients can enjoy the benefits of one of our single rooms. Those with partial private insurance share a room for two. We should be happy to provide a detailed quote for a room or hospital upgrade and self-funding options.
Dining room
When staying with us you will take your meals and enjoy our dining options in our light and airy communal dining room. Our varied, well-balance menus are formulated to meet your individual requirements. Our dietician will be happy to assist you, if necessary.
Cafeteria
Our public cafeteria stocks a selection of cold and hot drinks, fruit, pastries and snacks, everyday toiletries, postcards and a selection of newspapers and magazines. Your friends and relatives are welcome to use our cafeteria and it is also open to walkers and day-trippers.
Hairdressing salon
We can offer you a full range of ladies’ and gentlemen’s hairdressing services in our own salon. Just ask at Reception about making an appointment.
Leisure activities
Weekly leisure activities, such as games nights and other activities are provided by volunteers from the IDEM (Im Dienst eines Menschen) voluntary service organisation, as well as chess evenings organised by Gonzen Chess Club. There are additions to the programme in the form of occasional concerts and seasonal events.
Relatives and visitors
Visitors are welcome during the following visiting hours:
Every day from 10.00–11.30 and 14.00–20.00.
Relatives and carers may also be present for individual therapies by arrangement with the therapy staff.
Your relatives and/or visitors also have the option of spending the night in one of our hotel rooms. Please ask at Reception about availability and prices.
We specialise in the treatment of illnesses and the consequences of accidents in the following areas:
Where referrals are made directly by the emergency hospital, the undertaking to cover costs is obtained through the referring hospital. In the case of elective referrals of patients who live at home or in a residential home, we would ideally liaise with your referring doctor to apply for funding. We will forward the referral letter in support of the referral for inpatient rehabilitation to the medical officer of the funding entity, together with our own letter.
For international referrals, please contact our Director of Patient Services:
Andrea Hohmeister
andrea.hohmeister@kliniken-valens.ch
We look forward to hearing from you and will get back to you as soon as possible.
The research conducted at the Valens Clinics makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing development of the high-quality ranges of services we offer.
Some of the research projects are carried out with the involvement of different specialist departments and centres; the official research-coordinating body, the Clinical Trial Board, coordinates the research in the Valens Clinics and guarantees the involvement of all stakeholders.
The Valens Clinics aspire to be an attractive employer for specialists interested in research and promote research projects if they offer added-value for our patients. Our attention is focussed on various key research areas, such as clinical assessments/clinimetrics, efficiency, healthcare research, patient interaction, pathophysiology, oversight, new treatment methods and technologies.
Our current research projects and opportunities can be viewed on our detailed research webpage under Research Projects (in German).
Klinische Assessments/Klinimetrie, Effektivität, Versorgungsforschung, Patienteninteraktion, Pathophysiologie, Neue Behandlungsmethoden, Neue Technologien, Übersichtsarbeiten.
For extracts from our scientific publications, please refer to:
Research principles
Rehabilitating people – what does that really mean? If we had to answer that question in one sentence, we would say: We help people get their life back after a serious illness or an accident. That sums it up well. But: Not everyone involved will have the same idea of what they expect from it.
It becomes even more difficult when we try to express what it takes to be able to rehabilitate a person successfully – or the ideas, thoughts and concepts behind that process. We have worked with our employees to formulate a rehab philosophy, made up of several chapters, for the Valens Clinics.
“We help people to get their life back after a serious illness or an accident.”
Our rehab philosophy
Our mission
Our clinical approach enables us to promote sustainable recovery, independence and health literacy in our patients, thus improving their quality of life and active participation in life in the community.
Our vision
Our passion for rehabilitation, our innovative strength and our ability to network has enabled us to become a leading provider of rehabilitation services with an international profile.
The Romans were already aware of the healing effects of thermal water, particularly for rheumatic and chronic conditions. Monks discovered the healing properties of the thermal springs in Pfäfers.
It wasn’t long before invalids were being lowered down into the gorge in baskets to enable them to bathe in the pools hollowed out of the rock face specifically for that purpose; by 1535 Paracelsus was working as physician for the baths in the gorge and the original “Alte Bad Pfäfers” (Old Bath) – now a cultural and conference centre – saw a number of alterations and extensions over the years.
In 1970 the present rehab centre was built on the Valens sun terrace and has since been regularly modernised and extended.
The Rehab Academy offers employees, individuals with a professional interest, patients and relatives a diverse training and development programme that aims to develop both professional and personal skills and helps them meet the challenges of everyday working life with effective, professional expertise.
Our specific goal is to strengthen our course participants’ leadership, social, personal and methodological skills. We look forward to welcoming you and giving you the opportunity for self-advancement with our high-quality, practical and well-designed range of courses.
We pass on our experience and knowledge and maintain an extensive network with universities, doctors and scientists. The Rehab Academy is a platform for international symposia and a think-tank for everyone who is looking for something more.
Link to the (German) page of the Rehab Academy.
To enable us to retain our employees in the long term, we have endeavoured to create employment conditions that support them in their work-life balance. Personnel services at the Valens Clinics are also committed to clear leadership, promotion of innovations and maintaining the image of an attractive employer in the market place.
Our perception of ourselves is also based on a number of shared values and qualities which guide us in our daily interaction with our patients, and also with one another.
Read here about the
benefits you can expect at the Valens Clinics (page in German),
have a look at the
vacancies that are currently available, or
send a speculative application to our personnel team:
Your contact person
