Falls Occurring in the Workplace and Neurorehabilitation

As we have discussed in previous blogs, workers’ compensation insurance can be implicated in a variety of workplace injuries. It is generally required to be maintained by an employer unless the employer is subject to some legal exception. One exception is based on the number of employees, but exceptions vary by jurisdiction.

Among the frequent occurrences that give rise to an on-the-job injury and, therefore, to a potential workers’ compensation claim, is when an employee falls. Although the frequency and severity of a fall-related trauma depends upon many factors, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted a study of 36 states between 2005 and 2007, it determined that falls from elevations (such as roofs and ladders) were frequent for both roofers and carpenters, although falls occurred in other occupations, too[1]. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) estimated that, just in 2006, more than $60 million would be paid by workers’ compensation insurers for medical care alone (approximately $71 million in present value). That figure does not consider the element of lost wages that workers’ compensation also pays.

Let’s look at the dynamics of a workplace fall. It need not be as dramatic as a fall from a roof or from a ladder all the way to the ground. It need not result in broken bones. It can be as mundane as a “slip and fall” on a puddle of water left on the floor of a common area at the workplace. The injured individual may be able to “shake off” the immediate discomfort fairly quickly and joke about what happened with co-workers. But by the end of the day, the following morning, the following week, the following month or even longer from the date of the trauma, the individual might not have a clear memory of what happened. He or she might feel “out of it,” or “strange,” and may not be able to figure out why. He or she may be disorganized, unable to follow normal routines or to perform some or all of his or her activities of daily living (ADLs). The individual may have sustained a traumatic brain injury due to the workplace fall. On the continuum of catastrophic injuries, it may have been a relatively minor one, but it was a traumatic brain injury nonetheless. He or she may have hit his or her head on the floor, on furniture or suffered a head rattle as in a “whiplash” that can occur in an automobile collision.

After acute/emergency care is administered, the occurrence must be reported to the workers’ compensation insurer. An adjuster will be assigned and a nurse case manager may become involved as discussed in prior blogs. But this type of injury will need more than a purely “bandage” fix. There is more to it than that, including a need for rehabilitation, specialized rehabilitation and, if after neurological testing there are objective and distinct signs of a more serious traumatic brain injury, neurorehabiliation. Briefly, neurorehabilitation is a complex medical process, the purpose of which is to aid recovery from a nervous system injury (including a brain injury) in order to minimize and compensate for deficits so as to achieve the best possible outcome for the individual. Neurorehabilitation is a critical part of the unique Client Goal Plan developed for each post-acute rehabilitation client at NeuLife.

The professionals at NeuLife, including its team of neurologists, RNs and therapists are expert in the provision of innovative, clinically relevant services, including the creation of the Client Goal Plan, and delivery of neurobehavioral and neurorehabilitative services. NeuLife’s goal is to provide post-acute rehabilitation to its clients to achieve the best possible outcome for those who have even the most difficult and challenging diagnoses.

NeuLife’s philosophy is that healing, wellness and personal fulfillment are best accomplished in a positive and uplifting therapeutic environment where caring staff encourage, assist and support each client so he or she may achieve specific goals. NeuLife believes that personal fulfillment is equally as important as goals to increase function and independence. NeuLife seeks to achieve maximized, sustained outcomes that exceed the expectations of all persons served.

NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is a fully accessible residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.

2725 Robie Avenue

Mount Dora, Florida 32757