OT Alberta

ot-alberta-logo-06
Menu
Edit Template
Find an OT
Podcasts

Recover After Vehicle Injury

Take practical steps toward the life that matters to you after injury.

A motor vehicle injury can make everyday activities feel harder—from getting dressed and preparing meals to working, driving, caring for family, or spending time with friends. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with you to understand what matters most and find practical ways to participate in daily life with greater confidence, comfort, and safety. OTs consider your goals, strengths, routines, and the places where you live, work, learn, and connect with others.

Here are some ways an OT can help:

  • Understand daily-life challenges:

    Explore how changes in movement, energy, pain, mood, memory, attention, or stress affect the activities and roles that matter to you.

  • Build everyday routines:

    Develop realistic routines for self-care, household tasks, rest, sleep, appointments, family responsibilities, and enjoyable activities.

  • Manage energy and discomfort:

    Learn pacing, body-mechanics, positioning, and activity-planning strategies to make daily tasks more manageable.

  • Support thinking and organization:

    Practise strategies for attention, memory, planning, problem-solving, and managing work or home tasks.

  • Adapt home and community activities:

    Identify practical changes to tasks, routines, and living spaces that can maximize energy, improve safety and access.

  • Recommend helpful equipment:

    Explore assistive aids, mobility supports, seating needs, or other tools, and learn how to use them safely and independently.

  • Plan a return to work or school:

    Assess job, school and/or caregiving demands, identify needed supports, and develop a gradual, sustainable return plan with you and relevant supports.

  • Support driving and transportation:

    Explore transportation options, assess driving-related needs when appropriate, and support safe return to community mobility.

  • Build coping skills:

    Develop and apply practical strategies to manage stress, low mood, worry, frustration, and the impact of injury on daily life.

  • Connect with supports:

    Help navigate and identify community services, social supports, and resources that fit your goals and circumstances.

OTs listen to what matters to you, then work with you, your insurer, health-care team, and support network to create a practical plan for moving forward after injury.

Fran’s Story

Fran is a 63-year-old farmer who lives in a rural community with her partner and dog. Shortly after a motor vehicle accident, Fran’s physical therapist referred her to an occupational therapist because pain, fatigue, balance changes, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating were affecting her daily life.

Fran’s farm work involves driving long distances between fields, suppliers, and appointments, as well as organizing farm tasks and helping with physical work. By the end of a busy day, she had little energy for household tasks, time with her partner, or community activities.

Fran’s functional goal:

Fran wanted to safely manage the driving, planning, and essential tasks needed to contribute to the farm while maintaining enough energy for home life and meaningful time with her partner and dog.

How an OT Helped Fran

  • Practised scheduling regular rest breaks before and after driving, farm tasks, and appointments.

  • Used a weekly planner to map out driving routes, farm jobs, rest periods, and priority tasks.

  • Broke larger farm tasks into smaller steps and spread them across the week to better manage energy.

  • Practised setting boundaries with family and others by communicating what help Fran needed and which tasks she could safely take on.

  • Tried memory and attention strategies, such as written checklists and reminders, to organize farm work and daily responsibilities.

  • Worked with Fran and her partner to plan social activities around energy levels, with flexibility to change plans when needed.

  • Explored ways to reduce unnecessary driving and make essential trips more manageable.

Outcome for Fran

  • Physical: Fran used planned breaks and walking aid to feel steadier and less fatigued during longer outings and farm-related activities.

  • Emotional: Fran felt more comfortable sharing their needs, setting limits, and focusing on meaningful activities rather than trying to do everything.

  • Cognitive: By organizing tasks, reducing unnecessary travel, and using planning strategies, Fran found it easier to concentrate on priorities and manage daily responsibilities.

  • Daily life: Fran and her partner developed a more balanced routine that supported both farm work and time to rest, connect, and attend community events with their dog.