It is National Rehabilitation Week – September 18th – 24th!
Did you know that the rehabilitation profession has been around since before the Roman Empire over 2000 years ago, in the form of providing convalescence care to its soldiers? This means working on the recovery of wounded soldiers through exercise, rest, and practice so they could return to the fighting zone more rapidly (https://rehabilitationmatters.com).
As the centuries moved on, convalescence turned into restoration and restoration turned into rehabilitation. Rehabilitation settings can be in hospitals/ICU/NICU/CCU, outpatient centers, physician offices, behavioral health centers, schools, sports training centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health, rehabilitation units and specialty hospitals, return-to-work centers, public health services, and counseling centers, just to list a few.
You may recognize a few of these rehabilitation professionals:
– Licensed Counselor/Social Worker (LCSW)
– Occupational Therapist (OTR) and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
– Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician or a Physiatrist (PM&R)
– Physical Therapist (PT) and Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)
– Rehabilitation Aides (RA)
– Rehabilitation Nursing – Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse (CRRN) and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
– Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP-CCC)
– Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TR or CTRS)
Additional and unique services can also be a part of a rehabilitation team – horticultural therapist, music therapist, pet therapy, nutritionist, massage therapist, and kinesiologist, etc.… These diverse team members can provide rehabilitation services that are individualistic and specifically set-up for the patients, students, and customers through evaluation and treatment to achieve their best return for optimum function in their daily work and life activities.
National Rehabilitation Week started in 1976 and works to bring awareness to many services that are needed in recovery processes. “Rehab can benefit a person physically, mentally, and spiritually. Whether someone is undergoing inpatient care following a major surgery or attends a therapy session once a week to correct a minor issue, rehab services are there to help be a guide on the road to recovery” (https://nationaltoday.com/national-rehabilitation-awareness-week).
StellaVersed Consulting Firm, LLC happily honors all rehabilitation professionals this week and every week, as they continue to provide exceptional care to all their patients, students, and customers in a collaborative, creative, and wellness team environment! And Dr. Pam, CEO & Co-Founder of SVCF, is a little biased and a little passionate about rehab, as she is an occupational therapist and rehabilitation services leader.
If you want to learn more about any of these specialty services – check out these professional associations:
– American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAMPR)
– American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
– American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
– Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN)
– American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
– National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
– National Council for Therapeutic Recreation (NCTRC)
You can also check out local healthcare facilities and service centers, and universities and colleges where these rehabilitation disciplines work, learn, and train.
Enjoy Celebrating Your Week and Thank you to All Rehabilitation Professionals Everywhere!