Benefits of using domiciliary psychological rehabilitation

People who experience trauma following road traffic accidents sometimes struggle to deal with the psychological adjustments required to manage the smooth transition through rehabilitation.

They can develop emotional and behavioural changes in response to the struggle to adjust.

If these emotions and behaviours are not acknowledged they can have long-lasting and disruptive effects on;

• The person's confidence and self esteem.
• The person's ability to maintain a daily routine.
• The person's ability to engage socially.
• Relationships
• Mood
• Motivation.
• Work.

The Immediate Needs Assessment and report should illustrate these issues early in order that people have the opportunity for early, rapid access to help and rehabilitation.

Often in the early stages following an accident people are “overloaded” with appointments, assessments and dealing with a number of different professionals, which is essential but nevertheless disruptive and unsettling.

HPG provides the option of domiciliary psychological rehabilitation which offers the opportunity for the person to be assessed and treated at home providing the ideal option for most people at this stressful time .

Being assessed and treated at home provides the following benefits;

• It removes the anxiety and additional disruption for client and family of having to organise and manage transport to and from appointments.

• Enables the therapist to observe informal information from within the person's home setting and appreciate the “dynamic” and influences on the person within this environment.

• Enable discussion and treatment within the significant environment.

• Enables treatment of the person in a more relaxed frame of mind therefore maximising attention and information processing skills when receiving information or advice.

• Enables others within the family home to learn by example and feel integral to the process of facilitating their loved ones ongoing recovery.

• Enables the therapist to use “tools” which are familiar, contextual and relevant to the client, utilising association techniques and eliminating the need for generalisation of learning from a clinic setting to home.

• It is more likely that the client will make associations faster and repeat and practice exercises the therapist facilitates more when addressed within the environment where the behaviours and emotions are manifesting and impacting most frequently.

• Promotes the association of the home as a place of recovery and improvement.

Jo Evans
Unite Professionals