Welcome Home: How an OT Can Help After the Hospital
So you’re home from hospital – what’s next?
Congratulations on your return home from hospital! As you continue your recovery from injury or illness, you will likely find that your home offers you much more comfort, freedom, and independence than you had in hospital. However, being home again may bring unexpected challenges as well.
Depending on your injury and your circumstances, you may find it more difficult to do many things you used to be able to do without much thinking. Simple things like preparing food, getting dressed, going shopping, doing laundry and cleaning can be difficult when injured. Even moving around your washroom and shower can be problems. If you are fortunate to have help from friends and family, you will likely want to regain the power to do activities by yourself. This is where an Occupational Therapist can help.
How Occupational Therapy Supports your Recovery
Occupational Therapists (also called OT’s for short) are trained to help you regain your abilities. Here are few things an OT may do with you in your home:
- Help you learn new and easier ways to perform difficult activities (e.g. preparing food, washing laundry)
- Help you do the most you can with the limited energy you have while recovering from injury
- Help you to manage pain or other disruptive symptoms
- Help you to manage the difficult emotions that can arise during such a life change
- Help you to plan for a safe return to work
- Recommend equipment that will enable you to safely access different parts of your home (e.g. shower benches, toilet safety frames, temporary support poles)
- Recruit additional professional helpers if necessary (e.g. physiotherapists, counsellors, nurses, personal care aids, rehabilitation assistants)
- Develop a rehab plan so that all of your treatment professionals are working together towards the same goals
Our Approach is Customized to You
Occupational therapy is treatment to help people live as independently as possible. Your OT will tailor your treatment plan to your particular needs. Your OT may meet with you regularly and help you practice doing activities that now present difficulties. Or your OT may just want to check in every few weeks to monitor your progress and make suggestions on how to make your recovery easier.
Different Payment Options
In British Columbia, occupational therapy services may be available to you by the public healthcare system. OT services may also be covered by your insurance from ICBC, WorksafeBC, or your extended health plans. If your services are not covered by an institutional funder, you may also contact us to inquire about how OT Works! can help you. At OT Works! we have experience working with all major public insurers and many private insurers as well. We can set up billing arrangements easily and efficiently.
Our goal is to help in a meaningful way
Our home assessments are completed by registered occupational therapists, who are committed to providing holistic care, with an emphasis on function and supporting our client’s live meaningful, independent lives. Our OTs are focused on the outcome of regained ability and independence for our clients. Ultimately it is you that will make your recovery possible, and it is our privilege to help along the way.
Contact us to find out more about how an OT can help in your home