Occupational Therapy After a Serious Injury

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Traumatic injuries sustained during accidents can lead to the loss of victims’ independence and have a profound effect on their lives and the lives of those close to them. Injured people may find that it is a struggle to do the day-to-day tasks they previously considered routine, and are no longer able to fulfill their familiar roles or meet their typical obligations. This impairment of independence can negatively impact their quality of life and lead to a loss of self-esteem.

The right therapy applied after a debilitating injury can make all the difference, though. Occupational therapy plays an essential role in helping an injured person regain independence after a challenging injury. The occupational therapist (OT) works closely with the injured patient and their family as part of this process. Injured patients learn strategies and techniques to remediate their challenges or to compensate for them to minimize the impact of the person’s injuries on their daily life. This can lead to improved independence, quality of life, and self-esteem.

More About Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a person-centered and goal-directed rehabilitation program. Therapeutic activities and treatments are individually tailored to meet an injured person’s unique and specific needs and goals. Consequently, occupational therapy can focus on a wide range of activities for injured persons, including:

  • Self-care and learning how to look after themselves properly
  • Household management and learning home-based skills for living independently
  • Community management such as learning how to be safe and non-reliant on others in the community
  • Work and education support with beginning or returning to voluntary work, paid work, school, or college
  • Returning to pre-injury activities or undertaking new activities

If the traumatic and debilitating injuries prevent the patient from ever returning to work or learning to be self-sufficient again, an OT can assist the family in setting up a home environment that will make it easier for the accident victim and everyone else involved. 

How Do I Find an Occupational Therapist?

If you are injured as a result of an accident due to another’s negligence or fault, you may be able to access the therapies you need through personal injury litigation. Your personal injury attorney or personal injury doctor, like a personal injury doctor in Baltimore, MD, can help you obtain the appropriate professional support.

Or, you can seek an OT near you. Your general practitioner, physical therapist, or other healthcare professional may be familiar with some OTs who work in your community. Finally, if you have retained legal services, then your lawyer may know of some OTs who are well-versed in the providing the evidential support and necessary medical records to demonstrate your limiting and challenging circumstances in a settlement meeting, mediation, or the courtroom.

Be sure to let the OT know that you will need their medical evaluation, assessment, and documentation for your injury compensation claim. If you or a loved one has been catastrophically injured contact an occupational therapist to schedule a consultation today. The sooner you get the necessary intervention, the sooner you can regain your independent lifestyle and restore some semblance of normalcy.

Thanks to Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic for their insight into how occupational therapy can help after a serious injury.