Rehab Select Blog

You may be at home alone when it strikes. Suddenly, the left of side of body becomes completely numb… followed by the right side. You fall over and wake up at the hospital. You’ve just experienced a stroke and your life has changed---at least for the time being.

Is there a joint replacement surgery on the horizon for you? Are you currently suffering from the pain and challenges of arthritis? If so, you may want to consider occupational therapy as one way to help you adapt to your situation.

Getting injured or severely ill on the job may be a life-changing event. Whether it’s a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or other debilitating event that results in a permanent loss of function, the injured worker will need to be rehabilitated for work.

Did you know that occupational therapy originated in the mental health setting? The profession developed from the mental hygiene movement of the early 20th century. The first occupational therapists worked with American soldiers who came back home “shell shocked” after World War I, teaching them crafts and vocational skills that would improve their morale. From there, occupational therapy continued into community health centers after the deinstitutionalization movement in the mid-20th century. In fact, most occupational therapists once worked in mental health. That number has decreased over the years, but new opportunities are arising with recent changes in the mental health field.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 17.9 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2019, and 85% of those deaths were caused by heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels. They may affect the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart, brain, and limbs. They may also cause blood clots in the body or simply be damaging to the heart muscle, heart valves, or structure of the heart.

The vast majority of people who develop COVID-19 fully recover after 2-6 weeks. But a small minority of patients will experience persistent COVID symptoms for 3 months or longer. Known as “long COVID” or “long-haul COVID,” this condition affects patients of all ages. COVID long term effects occur more often when patients have pre-existing conditions that put them more at risk and for those whose symptoms were more severe.

Pulmonary issues can hinder a person’s ability to live life fully, but patients who enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program can dramatically improve their capabilities and quality of life. Occupational therapy is only one critical part of a program that includes exercise, education, and support provided by a team dedicated to pulmonary rehabilitation, but the benefits of occupational therapy are many. Occupational therapy is essential to helping patients with pulmonary issues regain their ability to do many of the everyday activities that we often take for granted.

Your home is your safe haven, and you have lived there for years. It stands to reason that it would also be the safest place to be as you grow older. You know every inch of your familiar home, so there are no surprises, no unforeseen risks that could cause falls, right?

Not necessarily. In fact, because you are so familiar with your home and therefore think you don't have to take precautions, falling can actually become even more of a risk. It doesn't have to be, though.

This is the last installment of a four-part series exploring how to navigate the complex landscape of Medicaid eligibility with success.  

This is the third of a four-part series exploring how to navigate the complex landscape of Medicaid eligibility effectively.