SERVICES

Services:

1. Occupational Therapy
2. Vocational Rehabilitation
3. Kinesiology

Occupational Therapy:

• Functional Capacity Evaluations
• Cost of Care Assessments
• Ergonomic/Job Site Evaluations
• Cross Examination Preparation
• Report Critiquing
• Surveillance Video Analysis
• Hospital Discharge Planning
• Case Management

Functional/Work Capacity Evaluation

A Functional/Work Capacity Evaluation (FCE/WCE) is an intensive, comprehensive and objective assessment completed by an Occupational Therapist who is trained in the area of Functional/Work Capacity Evaluations. The assessment uses evaluation instruments whose reliability and validity have been peer reviewed and the results are compared to normative or work production standards.

It can occur over one or several days and focuses on identifying physical abilities, functional restrictions and tolerances with respect to musculoskeletal strength, mobility, speed and endurance.

This evaluation also addresses physical effort, reliability of client reports, job-specific barriers and a client’s general functional profile. In addition, the therapist can provide recommendations to improve or maintain the client’s general and/or work productivity.

Life Care Plan/Cost of Future Care

A Life Care Plan/Minimal Cost of Future Care (LCP/MCFC) assessment is completed by an Occupational Therapist and is a thorough evaluation that addresses the reasonable, yet essential needs of a client who has been involved in an accident resulting in catastrophic injury or chronic health needs.

Its goal is to provide recommendations to maximize the client’s independence, their ability to participate in society and to prevent further functional deterioration and medical complications. It addresses the client’s current and prospective needs over their lifetime.

The assessment can occur in the client’s home or be combined with a FCE/WCE.

Report Critiquing Service and Cross Examination Preparation

An FCE/WCE and/or LCP/MCFC report critique will:

Interpret the findings and evaluate whether costs outlined are reasonable and complete or incomplete.
Evaluate the methodology used to determine the validity of tests and/or protocols.
Evaluate the evaluator’s opinion including the scope of practice.
Review of documentation for cross examination and court preparation

Surveillance Video Analysis

This service is provided when there is a need to determine consistency and/or inconsistency with respect to movement and/or function. The video recordings undergo a comprehensive analysis and are compared to findings from medical documentations (FCE reports, medical reports etc.) in order to obtain an objective, clear picture of the situation in question.

Ergonomic/Job Site Evaluation

A comprehensive analysis of the critical demands of work including physical, cognitive, and environmental components.

Why use it?

• Assists the rehabilitation process by objectively establishing work requirements to identify potential barriers and reasonable modifications
• for work resumption.
• Can guide the rehabilitation process by providing functional goals for therapy
• and clarify the specific objectives for functional and independent medical evaluations.
• From on the results of the JSE, recommendations regarding the most appropriate ergonomic aids and worksite modifications can be made.
• Can also be combined with the results of a FCE to paint a comprehensive viewpoint regarding employability and/or sustainability in the workforce.
• Can also facilitate communication with employers and/or other healthcare providers.

Hospital Discharge Planning

Discharge planning is a critical step in returning home from the hospital after a serious injury.

The Occupational Therapist will address the presence of environmental barriers as well as safety with personal care and household tasks.

In addressing these issues we hope to reduce personal and family stress in the transition to the home environment.

Return to Work, Case Management or Rehabilitation / Needs Assessment

The Occupational Therapist can provide an objective assessment and opinion with respect to the client’s present physical and functional status and further steps required in the rehabilitation process.

From this information, coordination of rehabilitation services can be facilitated to achieve the client’s avocational or vocational goals.

Why use it?

• Assistance in managing the rehabilitation process for increased communication amongst team members and more efficient delivery of services.
• Coordination of services and objective opinions on appropriate rehabilitation can save time, money and resources, as well as, reduce client frustration in the recovery process.

Vocational Rehabilitation:

• Vocational Assessment/Transferable Skills Analysis
• Situational Assessment
• Vocational Exploration and Placement Services
• Vocational Counselling

Vocational Assessment/ Transferable Skills Analysis

This assessment is completed by Certified Vocational Consultants in order to identify realistic vocational options that are within the individual’s physical abilities and fit with aptitudes and interests. Using standardized vocational and psycho-vocational tests including aptitude testing, interest inventories and realistic employment criteria (transferable skills) the consultant assists the individual to identify realistic vocational options through analysis of medical, psychological, social, vocational, educational, cultural and economic data.

Situational Assessment

The assessment occurs once realistic options have been established and can be arranged and overseen by a qualified Placement Specialist. This allows for direct observation of the individual on a real worksite or volunteer placement to further document strengths and weaknesses, work habits, ability to learn particular work skills, and tolerances in a graduated work program. If a situational assessment is coordinated with a specific job analysis (a checklist of sorts that outlines all the requirements of a particular job), it can be most effective in determining a person’s competitive level of performance and productivity in comparison to co-workers in the same work environment.

Vocational Exploration and Placement Services

This tailored and comprehensive assessment guides re-entry into employment. Exploration and Placement involves assisting the individual to re-enter their pre-accident/ pre-illness employment to assist the individual to find and maintain new or alternative employment. Often after the assessment phase, the individual is left to explore vocational options on his/her own, without an understanding of the market place.

Exploration involves gathering real world information of the market place including the availability of work, training required, wage expectations, and fit to physical abilities, cognitive abilities, interests and aptitudes. This process provides direction to the individual and focuses the rehabilitation process as well as teaches skills that the individual can use independently. Once options have been explored then the individual is assisted with Placement.

Placement involves practical skills in job search, accessing community resources, and communication with the employer and coworkers, as well as interview skills. The process also involves establishing contacts in the community with the final stage of finding and maintaining gainful employment. Follow-up with the individual is provided in the workplace to assess and address performance to ensure ongoing partnership between the employee and employer.

Vocational Counseling

The vocational counseling process addresses the concerns and fears of re-entry into the work world following any injury or illness. Counseling and support will focus on attaining vocational outcomes and reaching goals. This support provides remedial and compensatory strategies for behaviour and re-adaption for successful vocational pursuits.

Kinesiology Services:

• Pain Impact Assessment (PIA)  **NEW**
• Case Management/Mitigation  **NEW**
• Active Rehabilitation
• Work Conditioning/ Work Hardening
• Ergonomic Assessment and Job-site Evaluation

Pain Impact Assessment (PIA)

What is a Pain Impact Assessment (PIA)?

The PIA is an innovative assessment that has been developed and designed for those clients who are struggling with pain and/or pain management AND it is having an impact on their functional ability.

Who would benefit from this assessment?

This assessment is suitable for all clients whose functional ability and/or tolerance to activity is limited, and these limitations do not appear to correspond to the degree of physical injuries the client possesses. Simply put, the client’s demonstrated functional limitations are greater than one would expect based on their injuries. In some cases, this may be explained as non-compliance during an assessment or treatment program, while in other cases their performance gets labeled as poor, guarded, inconsistent, and/or less than full effort. As a result, a client’s effort and/or integrity may be in question. This in fact may be completely false and inaccurate and as such doing a total disservice to the client and your case as a whole. Another way to look at it is that it is akin to the scenario where someone is suffering with significant injuries from an MVA, but there is very little damage to the vehicle and/or the collision was deemed “low impact”. In the same way that vehicle damage does not necessarily directly correlate with injuries sustained, nor does degree of physical injury always directly correlate with demonstrated functional ability.

What will the PIA provide for you?

Upon completion of this assessment, an opinion will be provided with respect to the interrelationship (if applicable) between the clients perceived and demonstrated functional ability and fear avoidance beliefs, pain-related anxiety and fear and degree of kinesiophobia. An opinion regarding prognosis and treatment will also be provided.

Case Management/ Mitigation

Focused case management and file mitigation services. Essentially, I will analyze each file and identify what needs to get done to properly manage and mitigate your file. As you know, a failure to properly mitigate a file can cost thousands of dollars, and this is completely unnecessary in my view. Proper mitigation will lead to bigger settlements and increased client satisfaction and in turn only help grow your referral base and maximize future income potential and growth.

Active Rehabilitation

Medical exercise therapy program that focuses on providing exercise specific to diagnosis or pathology for the purpose of improving strength, flexibility, and stamina as a foundation for functional activity.

Work Conditioning/Work Hardening

Is a combination of exercise therapy/work conditioning in conjunction with work simulated activity in order to improve one’s capacity to perform an occupation. Work simulation is a functional activity with a primary goal of returning to a specific occupation. The focus is on one’s strength and stamina to perform the critical physical demands of the job. The work simulation activity must be specific to the occupation and must have some meaning to the client. The more specific the exercise and work simulation is to the individual’s job demands, the greater the likelihood of success during rehabilitation, and the greater compliance to the rehabilitation process.

We offer flexibility in the provision of our services, and design individualized programs to meet the needs of the client as well as the referral source

Benefits of Individualized Programming

Each client is unique in his or her response to injury or illness. Therefore, only a completely individualized program will maximize the results attained from a rehabilitation program.