Rehab Management helping rural Australians recover after sustaining injuries

"When a person is unable to work, it can have such a broad-reaching impact on their life," she said.

"Work is not just about the financial benefit, it provides routine, structure, there's also the social benefit of interaction and the meaning found in an occupation."

Mrs Bidwell is a senior rehabilitation consultant and occupational therapist with national health services provider, Rehab Management.

The award-winning organisation facilitates workplace rehabilitation services, injury prevention programs and health improvement programs across the nation.

It also helps some of Australia's farmers return to the land after disaster strikes.

In 2021 there were 128 people injured on Australian farms.

Another 57 have been injured in the first half of this year.

These figures don't include the farmers and truck drivers who are injured every year on the roads.

In the immediate aftermath of an accident it can be hard to know what the journey back to normal, or the new normal, might look like.

That's where people like Mrs Bidwell come into the picture.

Mrs Bidwell has a strong affinity and appreciation for Australia's farmers.

Her immediate family are commercial beekeepers and extended family were dairy farmers and livestock producers.

"I've certainly seen how physically demanding the industry can be, how emotionally and mentally demanding the industry can be, and also how incredibly rewarding the industry can be," she said.

"So much of what happens in the agricultural sector goes unnoticed and if we really look at it, it's an essential sector; without it, there'd be a lot of hungry mouths."

Mrs Bidwell and her husband Warrick are semi self-sufficient and produce their own beef on their 10 acre property north east of Launceston, Tasmania.

In her role with Rehab Management she assists people in the north and north west of the state.

Technology has also made it possible to do virtual assessments for people in different states who otherwise might not have access to an occupational therapist.

So what does the journey back to normal life or a new normal look like after injury?

"As an occupational therapist, when I receive a referral my first step is to assess what the functional impact of the injury is," Mrs Bidwell said.

"Is the person still in hospital or are they back home but stuck inside because they can't get outdoors yet?

"Basically I'm looking at where are they at as far as their rehabilitation goes; have they got more rehabilitation to gain or is this the new baseline, the new normal?"

Mrs Bidwell said as a person regained function on occupations such as being able to shower or dress themselves again, this naturally flowed on to moving to more complex occupations.

She said once the functional impacts had been identified, the next step was to develop treatments or interventions that target improving the person's function.

This could include tasks like carrying five kilograms in a feed bucket and gradually increasing that up to 10kg.

Modifying tasks and specialised equipment was another option occupational therapists looked at.

In some cases she has prescribed zero-turn ride-on lawn mowers or utility vehicles where mobility impairments have restricted a farmer's access to get out to the paddocks.

"When we're looking at treatment and intervention we are looking at what can be implemented at the person level such as physical or cognitive retraining for a task," she said.

"We also look at tasks on the farm; what does it look like, how much time is spent and what are the physical and cognitive demands?

"Are there ways to simplify or modify that event for the short-term so they can get back sooner instead of only going back when they are 100 per cent?"

She said the third component they looked at was the environment.

This could include anything from the paddocks to the sheds and the home.

They then assessed what modifications could be made to improve access, such as ramps and rails through to more complex modifications, depending on if they were temporary or long-term changes.

While there is overlap, Mrs Bidwell's other role as a workplace rehabilitation consultant enables her to holistically help workers get back to what they were doing pre-injury.

A workplace rehabilitation consultant liaises with all medical professionals involved in diagnosing a condition including GPs, specialists, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

She said getting the diagnosis right was critical and one of the first key steps for returning to work.

"Whenever we start working with someone for the first time, we want to make sure there is a very clear medical diagnosis so we can then consult and guide what treatment will look like," she said.

"If we're not sure about the diagnosis, we don't know how to treat it and we can lose valuable time implementing treatment that isn't as effective as it could be."

Next they look to establish person-centred and realistic goals.

Mrs Bidwell said every person's recovery was as unique as the individual and they were looking to develop a tailored approach to allow the worker to take an active role in their recovery.

"If an injured worker feels like they are driving, or part of their rehabilitation, they have much better outcomes," she said.

"We want to foster as much independence and self-determination early on, so workers aren't feeling like they are bouncing around without a say in their recovery.

"We want to understand what parts of their jobs they feel they can currently do, even if it feels seemingly small and we want to use that as a stepping stone back into the workplace."

She said the final step as a rehabilitation consultant was making sure all stakeholders were engaged throughout the process as this led to the best outcomes and minimal setbacks.

When Mrs Bidwell meets with her clients one of the first things she says to them is, "my ultimate goal is that you will not need me anymore".

"I want the people I work with to have gained sufficient independence and have enough support in place that they won't need me anymore.

"To see that come to fruition is very rewarding and ultimately it's why I chose to take a fairly major career change and study occupational therapy."

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident and needs assistance, talk to your insurer about how to access occupational therapy or workplace rehabilitation services.

For those not covered by a workers or motor vehicle compensation scheme, talk to your doctor or treating healthcare professional about how to access these services.

This week, ACM Agriculture has been sharing stories of people succeeding in agriculture with disabilities in the lead up to International Day of People with Disability on December 3.

Read some of their stories: