When a person is involved in a vehicular accident, their medical needs do not simply stop once they have been discharged from a hospital. Depending on the severity of the incident, the individual might have ongoing needs regarding their physical and mental wellbeing that will need to be addressed and rectified so that they can live as much of an independent life as possible. For some, this might involve a return to their previous way of living, while others may have permanent changes that they need to adapt to resulting from the incident. Therefore, there are a number of different healthcare providers that can assist with helping them through these times.
Occupational Therapy
Following an accident, a patient may require the services of a healthcare practitioner who holds a masters degree in occupational therapy, to help them relearn the ways of managing their own independence, or even to figure out new ways of adapting to their needs and situation. This can involve a range of tasks, including the ability to manoeuvre around their home, maintaining personal hygiene, and even the procurement of items to maximise the ability to move, retain accessibility within their existing home, and feed themselves.
Physiotherapy
Some physical injuries gained through a vehicle accident may not heal immediately, or might cause problems with walking. In addition to this, the chronic pain after the initial trauma may take a long time to subside, if at all. Due to this, patients will need to find ways to manage their level of pain, and gain mobility back into their joints. Physiotherapy can help individuals to strengthen their muscles, as well as to give the patient light exercises that will help them regain some of their movement, without putting undue pressure on the weak areas. This can, over time, allow them to return to as much normality as possible, and even help with future pain management.
Counselling
Not all of the problems that a patient faces after a car accident can be physical. While a person may exhibit signs of anxiety or even severe stress following the incident, their physical problems may also play a role in their mental wellbeing. If a patient suffered brain trauma, this may also contribute towards mental health problems. A counsellor’s role would be to aid the individual in working through their fears and finding the ways that they can regulate any emotions. This can allow an individual to not be ruled by fear, and gain back control over their thought processes. In addition to this, it may also prevent an individual from becoming withdrawn or panicked due to certain circumstances, such as being near the site where the accident took place, or even being a passenger or driver of a vehicle.
Helping a person through the problems that they face following an accident can be incredibly rewarding. Not only will you be dealing with the medical issues at hand, but you can also give the patient a semblance of normality and independence back, which can help them to move forward with their life.
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