TREATMENT SERVICES

Generally, after an accident, trauma or personal injury, the focus appears to be mainly on the physical aspect of injury, however, experience indicates that due to the suddenness and traumatic nature of the incident, psychological and emotional trauma can follow. It’s not uncommon that you will feel stressful emotions afterwards or even after a few months or sometimes years. Often, after an accident, you or a loved one may initially feel shock and once that wears off there are other symptoms and emotions that may arise. Typically, most motor vehicle accidents transpire unexpectedly and suddenly, hence, individuals may feel that they were unprepared or powerless to stop it often manifesting as psychological and emotional sequelae. If you are experiencing feelings of after shock, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress etc. and it is affecting you daily life, work, leisure, social life etc. then psychotherapy is most often the only avenue to help to overcome these concerns and in dealing with your post-accident psychological and emotional challenges.

Through psychotherapy you will be assisted in becoming aware of your post-accident emotional state, so you may be able to identify triggers for your stressors. Psychotherapy will help you in learning to express your emotions safely (to yourself, loved one and others), so they can become mindful of your condition and be mindful and respectful of your personal boundaries. Through psychotherapy you will be able to appropriately address your current psychological issues under our professional guidance as opposed to repressing or not dealing these issues as you may have in the past. In availing psychotherapy, you will be better acquainted in learning how to live in your post-accident reality on an emotional, psychological and social level. If you have been experiencing any of the above post-accident symptoms, then please do not hesitate to disclose these issues and at Apex we will make them a priority. We will help connect you with one of our many experienced and professional therapists so that your emotional and psychological healing can commence immediately.

Typically, after an accident, trauma or personal injury, the focus appears primarily to be on the physical aspect of injury, however, experience evidences that due to the abrupt and upsetting nature of the incident, psychological and emotional trauma can follow. Alongside these challenges social challenges can also take root and begin affecting the client’s day to day living including their social life, employment, and relationship with their family and loved ones. If you are experiencing these symptoms then counselling with a Social Worker is an efficient and practical way to curb these negative changes in your life. Through counseling, a Social Worker can help you to sort through your actions, feelings and thoughts in a safe space while empowering you to embrace strategies to help you cope with you post accident reality. Your Social Worker will not necessarily tell you what you should or should not do, but they will work with you in exploring coping mechanisms and strategies that may help you to deal with and improve your situation. Alongside, counselling for you, your family or loved ones, a Social Worker can assist you with understanding of difficult documents and determine and provide referrals to other appropriate services when necessary. Social Workers are also avid advocators for their clients. Generally, after a trauma, injury or accident, clients usually experience and are assisted in challenges by their social workers such as:

• Anxiety (driving related or otherwise)
• Depression (due to new post accident stressors or exacerbation of previous life stressors)
• Guilt (self blame)
• Grief (over loss or injury of loved one)
• Help in their adjustment to their post accident reality,
• Help in their adjustment to their post accident illness or injury
• Relationship or family issues
• Anger or stress management

After a car accident, due to nature of the trauma involving a vehicle, many clients suffer from anxiety and fear of driving or even being in a vehicle. When faced with being in a vehicle be it driving or otherwise, they may suffer from flashbacks and anxiety to the extent that they may have a nervous breakdown, panic attack, profuse sweating, uncontrollable shaking or may even be completely unable to drive. In fact, some accident victims avoid driving while others avoid being in a vehicle all together. Although driving is a privilege and not a right, however, at Apex Rehab & Assessment Centre it remains your right to be nurtured at the least to your pre-accident level of functioning. This process begins by evaluating, the extent of post- accident vehicle or driving anxiety and hence a driving assessment is materialized. This assessment evaluates in detail a client’s ability to get back on the road by assessing how the accident may have impacted the client’s physical ability, confidence, response time, nervousness, anxiety, panic attacks, cognition, and visuospatial skills relation to driving. The aforesaid also includes a review of their driving and medical history. If intervention is needed, then a treatment plan will be tailored for the client’s re-integration and anxiety reduction. This will consist of psychoeducation and en-vivo driver or passenger re-integration. Psychoeducation through proven CBT methods will address the client’s fears, phobias, anxieties as it relates to driving. An in-person driving re-integration program will consist of actual driving sessions that will assist the client in re-integrating back on to the road in a safe environment. If you are experiencing anxiety and fear of driving or being in a vehicle, then please do not hesitate to disclose these issues and at Apex we will make them a priority. We will follow up with the request and need for the aforementioned immediately and strive to get you the help you need to get back on the road feeling safe and confident through our Driving Re-Integration and Anxiety Reduction Program.

At Apex Rehab & Assessment Centre, we recognize that accidents and personal injuries often, can have a negative and emotional impact on family, loved ones and friends. Unfortunately, they at times can be indirectly affected even though they may have not been in the same accident. We recognize this need and hence, we work with your insurance and/or legal team to facilitate counselling and support for your family, loved ones, friends or anyone impacted by your condition. Post accident, if your family, loved ones and friends have been negatively affected by your accident, then please do not hesitate to disclose these issues and at Apex we will make them a priority. We will connect you with one of our many experienced counselors who will be able to provide the necessary counselling and support needed to help them get through these hard times.

Pain is the one of the most common post accident or post injury stressors. Often the mistake is made in which pain is recognized to be a purely physical sensation, however, experts now understand that pain has biological, psychological and emotional components. Furthermore, post accident, chronic pain can cause feelings such as sadness, anger, anxiety, and hopelessness; all of which contribute to worsening the post accident experience. In order to treat the pain efficiently and effectively, the physical, psychological and emotional aspects must be addressed. For the treatment of chronic pain, medical treatments such as medication, surgery, rehabilitation and physical therapy, may be helpful, however, it is equally important to address the psychological and emotional aspect of it as well. This is where the need of a counselor and/or psychotherapist arises. With their help you will be able to understand, manage your thoughts, emotions and behaviors as it relates to your discomfort. Through this process, you will be able to better manage and cope with your pain and eventually be able to reduce the intensity of your pain. Post accident, if you have been experiencing chronic pain, then please do not hesitate in apprising us of this concern. We will connect you with one of our many experienced and professional pain management counselors who will be able to help you best.

Dependent on the nature and severity of an accident, there is a possibility of major loss of bodily function (limb, permanent disability etc.) for the victim of the accident or their loved one. At the same time, there are instances where there is a loss of life. Grief is a reaction to any form of loss while bereavement is a type of grief involving the death of a loved one. While experiencing bereavement and grief, one may experience a range of feeling from deep sadness, sorrow, self blame, guilt to anger. How one processes and adapts to a significant loss or death can vary from one person to another and may be influenced by a person’s beliefs, culture, background, and relationship to what was lost or the deceased. A counselor and/or psychotherapist will help you process your personal loss or the loss of a loved one in an empathizing and judgment free environment that allows you to appropriately grieve, come to terms with and cope with the loss you are experiencing. Post accident, if you have experienced a personal loss or have lost a loved one, then do not hesitate in letting Apex know. We will connect you with one of our many experienced and professional therapists who will be able to help you best.

After an accident or personal injury, often clients will experience a temporary or long-term variance in their appetite. Some experience an increase in appetite, perhaps due to the lack of movement and exercise or due to their post accident physical and mental stressors coupled with overeating and/or unhealthy eating which results in unhealthy weight gain. Others experience a decrease in their appetite due to their post accident physical and mental stressors which when coupled with very little and unhealthy eating is resultant of unhealthy weight loss. Both cases can be detrimental to their health. Nutritional balance and healthy eating are essential for holistic recovery and mental health. Hence, a nutritionist will work with you in assessing your appetite, diet, eating habits and nutrition intake. After the assessment, they will work with you formulating an eating plan that will help you stay healthy, energetic and help facilitate a faster and healthier recovery.

Chronic pain is a common symptom post accident and personal injury. Even though, there is no single cure available for chronic pain, however, there are many ways to treat and manage it. Chronic Pain Treatment focuses on treating any underlying conditions that may cause pain. A team of healthcare professionals will work collaboratively with the client to develop a comprehensive plan for treating and managing the pain. The health care team will focus on developing the client’s self-management skills and the improvement of physical and mental health through healthy lifestyle changes. The plan also includes psychological and behavioral therapy. The treatment approach and method will differ according to every client’s post accident injury, medical condition, stressors, location of injury, intensity of pain etc. This individualised and client specific pain management intervention is also known as Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT).

After an accident, a client may experience challenges in carrying out day to day routine chores and activities of daily living such as personal hygiene, cleaning, cooking, laundry, garbage removal etc. to the extent that they may be in need of someone to physically assist them. Hence, an Attendant Care Assessment is completed and services are requested to be provisioned as determined by a trained attendant or a PSW who is assigned to the client. They will help with those activities of daily living which you or a loved one cannot perform due to the limitations or impairments resulting from the accident or personal injury. Attendant care services include personal grooming, hygiene, bathing, washing, dressing, undressing, toileting, transferring, positioning, meal preparation, assistance with eating, medication, housekeeping, essential communications etc. Post accident, if you or a loved one needs assistance with their activities of daily living due to the limitations or impairments, then then please do not hesitate to disclose these issues and at Apex we will make them a priority. We will connect you with an experienced Attendant Care Professional or a Personal support worker who will be able to make your post-accident reality a little less difficult and burdensome allowing you to concentrate on maximising your recovery.

After an accident or personal injury, physical pain is one the most common symptoms. Client will often complain about headaches as well as pain in their back, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. One of the most common treatments sought by client, is chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic treatment is based on the theory that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure and the spine, will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. This is done through a hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative chiropractic treatments. Chiropractic treatment is primarily used to provide relief to clients suffering from pain in their muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

After an accident or personal injury, physical pain is one the most common symptoms. Client will often complain about headaches as well as pain in their back, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs etc. Physiotherapy is one of the first steps in helping restore movement, function and physical healing in clients that have been affected by personal injury or accident. Physiotherapy may prove to be helpful for clients experiencing pain, injury or issues in their bones, joints and soft tissue injuries such as pain in their neck, shoulder, back, arms, legs etc. Physiotherapy may help relieve you pain, improve your physical activity while helping you to prevent further injuries. Physiotherapist use a variety of techniques including deep massage or hands to manipulate, mobilise and deeply massage the body tissues. The goal is help relieve pain and stiffness in muscles and improve blood circulation. Physiotherapy and massage may also contribute to a reduction in levels of anxiety and improving sleep quality. At times, a TENS machine (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) may be used help reduce the client’s post accident, muscle spasms and pain.

Alongside, physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic care, acupuncture is also used in the treatment of pain. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles in strategic points where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The purpose for the stimulation is to increase blood flow with the aim of triggering and activating the body’s natural painkillers.

After an accident, some clients are severely injured to the extent that their mobility has been affected. At times they are bed ridden, wheelchair bound, in crutches or simply don’t have the ability to move beyond their home space. Unfortunately, their immobility may be a barrier in their ability to receive appropriate assessment and care. Apex believes in breaking all barriers to recovery including immobility, hence, for this reason, Apex conducts all possible assessments as well as gives you physio care in the comfort of your own home.