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Many seriously injured people need extensive and ongoing help to recover from their injuries, or to adjust to life with ongoing medical issues or one or more new disabilities. Medical professionals call this 'rehabilitation'.
After a serious injury, a programme of rehabilitation may continue for months or years. It may involve care in hospital or other specialist medical centres. It may include care at home, care at school, or care in someone’s workplace.
Sometimes, it is not possible to know all the care that may be needed in the future. A plan of rehabilitation may need changing over time.
If you are pursuing a claim for financial support, your claim may help you access additional treatment and other kinds of help to enable the best possible rehabilitation. This may include hiring a professional case manager to help you create a plan to support your needs. Talk to your solicitor.
Treatment after serious injury
The following specialists may provide treatment:
Surgeons. Some injured road crash victims require one or more operations, over a short or much longer period of time, to treat one or multiple injuries.
Physiotherapists use techniques such as positioning and exercise to improve or restore, if possible, mobility and independence.
After a head injury, clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists assess an injured person’s needs and provide therapy. They may assess memory, concentration and decision-making. They may also assess behaviour changes and if an injured person is having difficulty adjusting to their injuries.
Speech and language therapists work to improve a person's communication skills. This may include understanding and expressing both written and spoken language and improving speech clarity. They can also help people who have difficulty swallowing.
Occupational therapists help an injured person overcome difficulties to enable them to carry out everyday tasks or occupations. They can help people to live more independently, or resume work or leisure activities.
For a list of organisations that provide information about treatment after serious injury, go to www.brake.org.uk/orgs
At home
Occupational therapists assess an injured person's level of physical functioning and put together a programme to help them regain as much independence and lifestyle as possible.
This programme depends on the extent of injury and resulting disability, whether the injured person lives with others or alone, and their type of housing.
For example, if a person's injuries result in mobility issues, ramps or wider doorways may need to be installed.
A recovering, or permanently disabled, person may also need a care assistant, or full-time help from a family member, to enable them to continue living at home.
Occupational therapists can also provide information and support to carers.
For some injured people, it is not possible to return home and they may need to live somewhere else that can provide the best, specialist care, either for the short term or long term.
At work
Injured people with disabilities, who previously worked, may or may not be able to return to their previous job.
Job centres employ advisers who specialise in disability employment. They can provide information about different schemes to help a disabled person return to work, including schemes that fund training or alterations to a workplace to make it possible for a disabled person to work.
Loss of earnings can be claimed as part of any legal claim for financial support.
At school
If a child or young person has been injured, they may need extra support to help them continue their education. This will be provided by their school or nursery, or by your local council if a child or young person is not in school or nursery.
A child or young person may be able to get support for special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). This support may be given in school, for example speech therapy.
If a child or young person has more complex needs, they may be assessed for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
To find out more about the support that schools and local councils must provide, go to www.gov.uk and search 'illness and your child's education'.
Transport
Consult your local authority and public transport providers to find out what accessible transport services are available. Some regions operate minibuses specifically for people with disabilities. If you need help researching transport options, contact the National Road Victim Service.
If an injured person wants to drive, it is important to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any injury that may affect driving.
This includes impaired limb function, visual disorders and head injuries which required treatment for more than one day in hospital. The DVLA will then seek information about fitness to drive from a GP or hospital consultant. For more information, go to www.gov.uk and search 'contact DVLA'.
Mobility centres can assess driving skills and evaluate eligibility to hold a licence. They also offer advice if a vehicle needs to be modified for someone with a disability. Go to www.drivingmobility.org.uk
Support for family and friends
It can take a long time for a person with ongoing medical issues or new disabilities, and for their close family and friends, to adjust to a new way of life. It may be physically and emotionally exhausting.
It is important that people who support injured or disabled people receive support they need. If you are a carer, contact your social services department for an assessment of needs. If you work, tell your employer about your carer responsibilities and ask about flexible working.
Friends and neighbours may be willing to help. Do not be embarrassed to ask for help. It is normal in your situation to seek help from others.
Carers UK is a charity supporting carers. Go to www.carersuk.org
More help and advice
There is much more help and advice for people coping with disability from disability organisations and charities.
For a list of organisations that support people with disabilities, go to www.brake.org.uk/orgs