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Occupational rehabilitation
Aurora Occupational Rehabilitation offers personalized, cost-effective
services, ranging from prevention and wellness to rehabilitation of injured
workers with the goal of returning the employee to work. Sites throughout
southeastern Wisconsin can provide injury prevention education, from back safety
to cumulative trauma prevention or customized topics.
Our experienced clinicians also can provide onsite ergonomic assessments to
assist with injury prevention, develop pre-placement, post-offer functional
tests, or provide recommendations regarding reasonable accommodation for ADA
compliance.
Our work programs are designed to address the physical, and cultural needs of
the individual to achieve maximum independent functioning in a vocation and a
full return to work. We provide highly structured, goal oriented and
individualized occupational therapy programs to transition workers through the
process from acute care, back to work.
Experienced staff
A team including occupational and physical therapists work with the physician
on specialized programs for the injured worker. Many of Aurora’s therapists have
completed advanced training in occupational topics such as ergonomics,
functional capacity evaluations, and evaluation and treatment of the injured
worker.
Individualized treatment functional capacity evaluations
A functional capacity evaluation determines an injured worker’s maximum
physical and functional capabilities objectively and comprehensively.
During a 3-4 hour time period, endurance and consistency are measured through
sustained performance in response to broadly defined work activities.
Through this testing we can objectively evaluate the individual’s level of
effort and true functional limitations. This test also measures positional
tolerance, flexibility, whole body strength, body mechanics, work behaviors and
relevant work tasks.
A functional capacity evaluation can provide the physician with information
to:
- Objectively rate a disability
- Determine return-to-work status
- Evaluate for vocational retraining
Work conditioning program
Work conditioning is a 2-4 week personalized return-to-work program.
Included are an evaluation of each person’s work environment, simulated work
activities, exercise and education, all focusing on the goal of returning
employees to work.
The work conditioning evaluation and program include:
- Functional capacity evaluation
- On-site job analysis
- Musculoskeletal evaluation
- Physical reconditioning/exercise
- Injury-prevention education
- Work-simulation activities
The benefits of the program include:
- Injured workers increase their overall muscle strength and
cardiovascular endurance, and learn how to prevent re-injury.
- Employers reduce medical costs, replacement labor costs and lost work
days.
- Insurers reduce costs and avoid unsuccessful long-term rehabilitation
through early referral to an Aurora Rehabilitation Center.
- Physicians have assurance that their patients receive high-quality
treatment in a timely manner.
Comprehensive care provided
Prevention
- Cumulative Trauma Education - An educational group
session, usually on-site, that instructs employees in prevention and
management of cumulative trauma injuries. Educational sessions can be
tailored to specific needs identified, for example, office ergonomics,
fitness, stress management, etc.
- Pre-Placement, Post-Offer Functional Testing - This
tests a post-offer candidate’s ability to perform the essential physical
components of a job. This can assist employers in complying with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. This is usually provided as part of a
pre-employment physical examination. These tests are job-related and give
objective and reliable information about the candidate’s ability to do the
job.
- Worker Exercise Program - Exercises designed for
employees that are meant to be performed on the job as a warm-up and
stretching program. A “train the trainer” approach may be used.
Rehabilitation
- Spine Rehabilitation Program - A treatment program,
usually consisting of education, stretches, strengthening and home
exercises, to restore function of an injured back, empower the injured
employee to manage back problems and prevent re-injury.
- Hand Rehabilitation Program - A specialized area of
therapy that treats injuries and problems of the hand. Hand therapists are
often certified and have had additional training focusing on the intricate
structures and functions of the hand.
- On-site Rehabilitation - Rehabilitation services
offered at the job site, particularly post-injury treatment. With on-site
service, employees can reduce costs associated with travel time and
clinicians can provide assessment for job readiness using real job
activities and make recommendations for the removal of ergonomic hazards.
These services contribute to improved employee morale and job satisfaction,
as well as injury prevention and loss control.
- Orthopedic Rehabilitation - Evaluation and treatment of
injuries to the skeleton, muscles, tendons and supporting soft tissue
structures. Includes fractures, strains, sprains and other injuries.
- Rehabilitation Case Management - The coordination of
rehabilitation services for an injured employee involves managing
communication and intervention between rehabilitation services and the
physician, employer, employee, rehabilitation nurse and insurance adjusters,
to ensure quality, cost effective outcomes.
Additional services
- ADA Consulting - Guidance regarding ADA issues,
particularly regarding to reasonable accommodations and workplace
modifications.
- OSHA Consulting - Guidance on OSHA issues in
conjunction with Aurora Occupational Health.
- ADA Job Descriptions - Clinicians can assist employers
in writing job descriptions by quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating
essential physical demands of a job and providing tools to assist in
identifying other qualifications.
- Fitness Programs - Any number of exercise or
educational programs aimed at promoting wellness and preventing illness and
injuries.
- Ergonomic Assessment - An analysis of a workstation to
identify injury risk and to make recommendations for remediation, or to
provide recommendations regarding reasonable accommodation for ADA
compliance.
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