Services

Case Management

This involves planning, facilitating, and coordinating care in order to meet the rehabilitation goals of the client in a timely and cost effective manner. We carry out a comprehensive assessment to determine the type of services required by the client. We facilitate effective communication between members of the rehabilitation team to ensure optimal recovery of the client.

Home safety assessments and hospital discharge

Our occupational therapists carry out comprehensive home safety assessments to facilitate the client's smooth transition from hospital to home. This can involve prescription of adaptive equipment, and home modifications to improve the client's safety and independence when performing the activities of daily living. Recommendations can also include provision of support services such as personal care and home making service, and referrals to other rehabilitation professionals. Where appropriate, clients are transitioned to an active rehabilitation program in the community to help them achieve their full functional potential.

Occupational Therapy

Services seek to improve client functioning by using therapeutic activity, adaptive equipment, activity analysis and modification. Our OTs can recommend a course of preventive or corrective action that can help our clients lead more productive and satisfying lives. Compensatory strategy training may be used where required to maximize abilities in physical, cognitive and psycho-social domains of function.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a health care profession with a significant role in health promotion and treatment of injury and disease. Our physiotherapists are dedicated to improve our client’s quality of life by promoting optimal mobility, physical activity, and preventing disease, injury, and disability. We provide both preventative and rehabilitation treatment for a variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions.

Vocational rehabilitation

The purpose of our vocational rehabilitation service is to assist our clients to retain or regain the ability to participate in work after an injury or illness. This service includes one or more of the following:

• Ergonomic workplace assessments
• Adapting work equipment
• Modifying work environment
• Facilitating gradual return to work
• Promoting health; and injury prevention at work
• Education of the client, and employer on safe working methods

Kinesiology/Rehabilitation Assistant services

Our kinesiologists are fully registered with BCAK and carry comprehensive liability insurance. Our kinesiologists support our own results oriented rehabilitation programs, as well as are available to external organizations. Our kinesiologists/rehab assistants speak Punjabi, Hindi, Serbian, Croatian, and Korean. Services are offered throughout Lower Mainland. Our kinesiologists offer following goal directed programs:

• Aquatic therapy
• Gym programs
• Active rehab programs
• Community reintegration
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Mental health activation programs
• Life Skills

Neurological rehabilitation

The goal of our neurological rehabilitation program is to help the client return to the highest level of function and independence possible, and improve the overall quality of life. Our programs focus on minimizing difficulties using existing strengths, abilities, and individually appropriate strategies. Our therapists have special interest, and training in neurorehabilitation, and utilize a variety of treatment concepts based on your individual goals in order to achieve the best possible outcome.

Clinical Counselling

We provide rehabilitation counselling to clients recovering from catastrophic accidents, chronic illness, trauma and life crises. We provide evidence-based and person-centred counselling interventions including cognitive-behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, trauma-focused CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, narrative therapy and addiction counselling. Services are also available in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.

Seating and power mobility assessments

Our vision is of a seating/power mobility system that is geared towards facilitating stability, postural control, function, and independence. Our therapists have specialised training in seating and complex postural management. Services may also include collaboration with vendors, and completing documentation for the fee payors.

Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS)

The AMPS is a standardized observation-based evaluation of a person’s quality of performance of relevant, chosen, and prioritized personal or domestic activities of daily living tasks (www.ampsintl.com). The quality of ADL performance is assessed by rating the effort, efficiency, safety, and independence of 16 ADL motor and 20 ADL process skill items. The AMPs is used to:

• Test a person in a relevant and familiar environment as he or she performs ADL tasks
• Measure the degree to which a person’s ADL task performances are free of increased clumsiness or physical effort, decreased efficiency, safety risk, and/or need for assistance
• Score the quality of 16 ADL motor and 20 ADL process performance skills

At Life Skills Therapy, we have occupational therapists that are trained and certified in administering AMPS. The results of the AMPS can be used to document baseline quality of ADL task performance, the effectiveness of OT interventions, and change in ADL ability over time.

Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP)

The PGAP is a 10 week standardized evidence-based intervention program for reducing disability associated with pain, depression, cancer and other chronic health conditions.

PGAP aims to reduce psychosocial barriers to rehabilitation progress, promote re-integration into life-role activities, increase quality of life, and facilitate return-to-work. This is achieved through targeted treatment of psychosocial risk factors, structured activity scheduling, graded-activity involvement, goal-setting, problem-solving, and motivational enhancement. The PGAP has been shown to be effective in facilitating return to work in individuals with musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (pgapworks.com).We are very excited to offer PGAP. Call us now to make a referral.

BrainFx 360

BrainFx 360 is a new, comprehensive, standardized, research-based digital assessment tool that is designed to measure the functional impact of mild to moderate brain injury or disorder. It is designed for those at risk for, or who have experienced concussion, brain injury, stroke, dementia or other brain disorders (Brainfx.com).

The assessment includes 50 everyday activities to measure performance on 30 cognitive skills. It can be completed within two hours. The assessment is scored immediately with a report that can be shared with the healthcare team for recommendations. Baseline and subsequent reports can be compared to measure change and provide a functional outcome measure.

Eldercare

We provide occupational therapy services to seniors at home and within residential care facilities. Services include:

• Falls prevention programs
• Seating and power mobility assessments
• Home safety assessments
• Assistive device prescription
• Cognitive assessment and rehabilitation
• Health promotion and education programs for residents, and care workers

Functional Capacity Evaluation

A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a comprehensive assessment that measures a client’s current functional abilities and physical tolerances. FCEs provide objective information about an individual’s ability to perform work related tasks, and identify transferable physical skills.

After completion of the FCE, a comprehensive report is prepared with recommendations in one or more of the following areas: intervention to assist with return to work, graduated return to work schedules, work site modifications, safe parameters for re-entering the workforce, and client’s rehabilitation potential.

Cost of Future Care (CFC) Assessments

CFC is a detailed assessment that identifies an injured person’s future needs and quantifies the costs of services and equipment required over the injured person’s life span. This involves review of documentation, client interview, physical and functional assessments, assessment of client’s home and local environment, needs assessment, consultation and research, costs analysis, and preparation of a comprehensive report.

Ergonomic Assessments

This includes an analysis of the work environment and the client’s work style to identify and remove risk factors that may result from high repetition, and awkward postures. All assessments are conducted by experienced occupational therapists. Recommendations include use of ergonomics principles, and equipment modification to reduce the impact of risk factors and maximize productivity.

Job Demands Analysis

A Job Demands Analysis is used to objectively measure the physical, cognitive and psychosocial demands associated with a job. The JDA provides physicians, therapists, insurance adjusters, and employers with exact and detailed job requirements. The results can be used to assist with return to work planning, determining job and task suitability, pre-employment hiring, and training employees.

Workplace Recovery Management

Our consulting team works closely with employers, insurers, and the employee’s medical team to facilitate effective communication, and ensure timely access to specialized rehabilitation services. Our aim is to encourage employee’s full participation in the recovery process with a goal of achieving early and sustainable return to work. We also assist employers to improve disability prevention and management practices.