SERVICES > OT FOR VETERANS
Edmonton Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation for Veterans
Helping You Get Back in Action
Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation for Veterans
You’re an honourable person who has dedicated your life to the service of our country. You may have experienced traumatic events and injuries during your training or service in conflict situations around the world. When you returned home and were no longer able to continue working in your profession, you may have felt significant barriers to continue your life at home with your community.
Veterans frequently cope with:
- chronic pain
- difficulty with physical function in daily life
- depression
- anxiety
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- sleep disturbances
- difficulty regulating emotions (e.g. road rage)
- difficulty with concentration and memory
- loss of productive role
- loss of recreational activities (e.g. sports)
- difficulty with transition to civilian culture
Veteran Profile Example
37-year old veteran has been medically released about six months ago and is on the Rehabilitation Program with Veterans Affairs Canada.
Veteran has been referred to us for occupational therapy and rehabilitation services. We complete an occupational therapy assessment to identify problems and set goals. The problems may be chronic pain, decreased ability to walk and run, poor memory, fatigue and sleep disturbances, and difficulty with being in crowds or traffic due to anger and anxiety.
This client’s goals are to:
- Decrease pain
- Increase mobility
- Improve memory
- Improve energy levels during the day
- Increase tolerance for being in public places
Why Choose Action OT?
Experienced
We have a lot of experience working with veterans, which helps us understand your changing needs throughout your life. We have worked with junior veterans that have been recently released, to senior veterans that have already retired years ago.
Inspired
Our veteran clients enjoy working with our occupational therapists to help them recover and re-integrate with their families and communities. We're truly honoured to work with veterans and are inspired by your service to our community.
Practical
We know how your benefits work and what services will be covered. We can help you talk with your case manager and other healthcare workers. When appropriate, we can also help you with volunteer or work exploration, problem-solving as issues come up, and with workplace ergonomic changes.
How Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Can Help Veterans
Our occupational therapy treatments focus on decreasing the limitations associated with your chronic pain, fatigue, and depressed/anxious mood. We help you gain an accurate awareness and understanding of your abilities and limitations to participate in your valued life roles.
Our occupational therapists work with you to identify your values, interests, and physical and mental abilities to help you get back to doing the activities that are meaningful to you.
If our screening questionnaires show work-related risks that impact your health and safety, you may benefit from the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP). This helps you structure your time and activities to help you manage your pain and motivation. You may benefit from a concrete process to slowly achieve greater participation in your meaningful activities. Setting small goals or action plans on a weekly basis helps you take a more active role in your rehabilitation.
We provide pain neuroscience education to promote your understanding of the interaction between pain, stress levels, and mood. We also talk about the therapeutic use of activities and daily routines to improve your sleep quality, manage your stress, and increase your self-confidence and activity levels.
We may recommend a home visit to assess your needs for medical or adaptive equipment. For example, we may suggest installing a wall bar and tub grab bar to enter and exit your bathtub safely.
We incorporate mindfulness and relaxation strategies into your daily routine. Even short daily meditations can help to calm your nervous system and reduce or modify your pain.
We evaluate your memory and review your results together. We may use memory compensation strategies, such as using your cell phone for lists and reminders. There are also memory strategies to improve your mental focus. We encourage a daily routine to help regulate your sleep/wake pattern, which can help improve your memory.