Rehab Select Blog

Living with Alzheimer’s or dementia is challenging, and caring for a loved one struggling with these conditions can be stressful. But you don't have to do this alone.

Many people outside of healthcare mistakenly confuse dementia with Alzheimer’s, yet the two are very different conditions. While both can affect memory, there are clear distinctions. What follows is a look at what these differences can mean for patient symptoms, long-term outlook and patient memory care need. 

A fall can be an unpleasant situation for anyone. For a senior citizen or someone with a physical injury or disability, however, this type of situation can be a disastrous one that leads to significant damage. The bathroom is a particularly dangerous area in which falls can happen, for two main reasons: surfaces in bathrooms, including floors, are usually hard and slick; and people generally use water in bathrooms, which can make these slick surfaces even more slippery. Luckily, there are a few fall prevention tips that can be followed to minimize the risk of falling while in the bathroom.

If you’ve been told––or suspect––you need an occupational therapy evaluation, the next steps can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. How do you select the right provider? What should you expect during the evaluation, and what questions should you ask?

Although you may think of occupational therapists working mainly with people with chronic conditions over considerable time, they also can work in hospitals as part of acute care teams. In fact, over 27% of occupational therapists work in a hospital setting, largely supporting teams in emergency medicine, intensive care, critical care, urgent care, and trauma care.

Falling is the number one cause of injuries – and injury death – among older Americans. It is somewhat shocking to discover that roughly one third of seniors in the United States experience a fall of some type every year that results in a trip to a hospital emergency room. In fact, fall related injuries have become so common for seniors that many physicians think of it as an epidemic, annually damaging the health of millions of otherwise healthy Americans.

Paying for you or your loved one’s occupational therapy can be a key concern when entering a long term rehab facility. The benefits of occupational therapy can be many, but you may be wondering how much of the services will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or worker’s compensation. Each of these pay sources for occupational therapy have their own limits and conditions. You’ll have to review your policies carefully to fully understand what’s covered, what’s not, and any steps you may need to take to get the maximum amount reimbursed.

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.