Rehabilitation is an ongoing process. Polio survivors who went through rehabilitation after the acute episode of polio should be re-evaluated as their bodies’ capacities change as a result of aging, wear and tear on joints due to unusual biomechanics, and overcompensation due to muscle weakness. New techniques may need to be learned to facilitate independence; new devices, to replace outdated and inefficient ones, may need to be used.
While the physical problems of polio survivors are similar to those of the elderly, some survivors seeking rehabilitation are younger, with different interests and lifestyles. The psychological issues of a person facing a recurrent disability are different from a “first time in your life” disability. Re-rehabilitation efforts may rekindle un-resolved psychological problems that can interfere with adaptation to current circumstances. Previously learned coping styles, such as passing or minimizing, also may influence choices made by polio survivors (see Coping).