Louisiana residents probably know that a complete recovery from a spinal cord injury usually requires long-term medical care. Hospitals typically provide the initial treatment, but the majority of the rehabilitation and therapy work takes place at home or in a long-term care facility. As a result, spinal cord injury patients usually rely on family members and professional caregivers. But, a patient also has to put in efforts to speed up the recovery process and adjust to life’s new circumstances.
A patient must remember that life after a spinal cord injury comes with a unique set of challenges. Some of the most mundane tasks can become difficult. While in a hospital, a patient is constantly monitored by doctors and nurses. It may be overwhelming to leave the hospital and return home, but a victim needs to prepare a routine to help recover as soon as possible.
One way to approach life’s new challenges is to utilize the skills a victim learned during rehabilitation at the hospital. Whenever a patient is faced with a challenge, the victim must try to remember facing similar situations during the rehabilitation process, and must employ those methods.
Another way of simplifying tasks after a spinal cord injury is to break up a complex task into multiple smaller tasks. Breaking up a larger, complicated task into smaller, reasonable goals usually makes the task easier. Once one step is completed, the patient can move on to the next goal. At every step of the way, a victim must keep a positive attitude and celebrate each individual accomplishment.
A patient must not ignore the medical treatment plan and should try to complete all mundane tasks as independently as possible. However, this can depend on the severity of the injury, and if patients feel that they still need help with certain things, there is no point in hesitating to ask for help.
Source: VeteransHealthLibrary.org, “Spinal Cord Injury or Disorder (SCI/D): Adjusting After You Leave the Hospital,” Accessed on Jan. 14, 2015
