Enabling Independence

This book is designed as a companion text for the variety of support workers in the field of rehabilitation. It recognises the diversity of roles and array of training and education options; formal routes such as S/NVQ and schemes which are tailored to an individual workplace. Therefore the focus of the book is simply to provide an accessible introduction to rehabilitating the patient, no matter what discipline or service leads this activity.

Enabling Independence provides practical information by reflecting different approaches to assisting with rehabilitation. The first section introduces the framework for the book and considers the philosophy of enablement. The second section is dedicated to ‘enhancing function’ and details the most common activities of daily living, such as mobility and dressing. This is followed by a ‘problem oriented approach’ in the third section, which addresses typical problems which support workers are likely to encounter, such as patients who fall or experience fatigue. The final section considers issues in delivering the rehabilitation support, such as team working and supporting carers.