New Driver Rehabilitation Program Offered by Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center

A new driver rehabilitation program being offered by Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center, Battle Creek, is aimed at helping people whose driving ability has been affected by disease, trauma, stroke or aging. The program is taught by a Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center registered occupational therapist (OTR) with special certification in driving rehabilitation, and is licensed by the State of Michigan.

"One of the cornerstones of rehabilitation is helping people to regain their independence and freedom," said Brooke Drysdale Flanders, registered occupational therapist (OTR). "Patients who win their freedom back and are able to go home or return to work are the ones who recover the fastest and the fullest. A key to having that freedom is being able to drive, and that's the focus of our program."

Driver rehabilitation can help patients recover from a wide range of conditions including stroke, amputation, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, Alzheimers/dementia, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, visual disorders, and the side-effects of medication. People whose driving has been affected by aging can also benefit from driver
rehabilitation.

The driver rehabilitation program consists of four parts: a pre-driving evaluation; an on-the-road evaluation; a vehicle prescription which identifies any special adaptive equipment the patient may require; and education focused on developing the patient's ability to operate the prescribed vehicle in the safest manner. Patients are rehabilitated in a special vehicle installed with a complete range of adaptive equipment and other special devices designed to help disabled people drive in complete safety. This equipment includes hand controls, adaptive steering devices, accelerator pedals designed for left foot use, and devices to activate secondary controls in driving assistance.

"Patients usually adapt quickly and are very comfortable using adaptive equipment," said Flanders. "It's learned behavior and one of the objects of our program is to train until people feel quite comfortable and natural in using different types of controls."

Another significant focus of the program is aging. As the U.S. population grows older, driving and safety will become an increasingly important issue. Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center's driver rehabilitation program can help aging drivers in a number of ways.

"The evaluation helps to identify areas where the elderly may be having difficulty," said Flanders. "It might be issues relating to hearing or vision which we can help rehabilitate. Or it might have to do with reaction time which we can also work on."

Flanders added that if someone is concerned about a parent, neighbor, relative, or friend who may be having trouble with driving because of aging, they should consider inquiring into Southwest's driver rehabilitation program.

"In the final analysis, the program not only helps older people maintain their freedom and independence. It also makes for safer roads," she said.

Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center's driver rehabilitation program and instructor are licensed by the Michigan Department of State, Driver Training Schools Program, and the hospital holds membership with the Association of Driving Education for the Disabled (ADED). To participate in the program, patients must have a valid driver's license or temporary permit from the appropriate State of Michigan agency. In most cases, licenses held before the patient's medical condition changed will be sufficient for an evaluation.

Medical information from the patient's physician is usually required. Further information can be obtained by calling 269-965-3206.

Based in Battle Creek, Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center is an independent rehabilitation hospital which provides a complete range of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to patients who have been disabled by stroke, trauma, illness, surgery, arthritis and other diseases and injuries.

The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission.

 

Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center 393 E. Roosevelt Battle Creek, Michigan  49017 269.965.3206