What is vocational rehabilitation?
There is a growing demand for vocational rehabilitation in NZ as many of us are now under a lot more pressure financially and at work than in the past.
Working is good for us. It can give us a reason to get up in the morning, structure to our lives, a sense of purpose as well as providing us with the money we need to do the other things we want in life.
If you’ve had an injury that means you are unable to work, or you aren’t able to work at your usual level; this can have many knock-on effects to other area’s of life.
Research has shown that the longer a person is off work, the more likely they are to not be able to return to that specific work. Therefore, returning back to work as quickly as possible has major advantages for overall health and well-being. Even if it is only for shorter hours or certain duties/tasks.
Vocational Rehab is the process of allowing this to happen. At Central Lakes Physio we have physio’s specially trained in vocational rehabilitation. This may include specific strengthening, advice about changing the way you do things, providing workplace equipment or modifications and coming up with a return to work plan.
We also run the strengthening component of the ACC return to work and back to work programmes for Active Plus. We will work in conjunction with you, your employer, ACC or other insurance companies and other health professionals. This will ensure the best and most timely outcome possible in your quest to return to work.
BUT……….it’s not all about rehabilitation!
Prevention is better than cure! We can also carry out worksite assessments and manual handling training. This can help to reduce a persons risk of injury in the work place. This can be particularly useful for jobs that may be particularly heavy, repetitive or sedentary. Jobs such as building, childcare, office work or cooking. Please give us a call or an email if you would like to find out more about how we can help.