Hi, I'm Kerri, a stroke survivor, a member of BIND. And on BINDWAVES, we highlight brain injury survivors stories and sprinkle a little bit of hope in everything we do. In March, it's Brain Injury Awareness Month, so in honor of that, we are resharing, re releasing some of our most popular episodes. This is the second most popular episode we had with OT Amber Richardson, who provided insight into all the different ways to get therapy. There is no limits.
You can do inpatient hospital, outpatient hospital. And also in home with community involvement. So enjoy, enjoy your listen!
Hi, I'm Kevin. I'm a stroke survivor and a member of BIND, Fort Worth.
And hi, I'm Carrie, a stroke survivor, and also a member of BIND, but in Plano. And today we are so excited to talk to Amber. Um, Amber Richardson. She has a master's in occupational therapy and a bunch of other little letters and designations and stuff at the end of her name that we just kind of, we'll let her tell us what those are. Yeah. You know, um, but she is the community relations manager of Rehab Without Walls, which is also part of Pate.
Um, who she is a, they are a close ally of the Brain Injury Network. We'll be talking about the importance of working with the community while re covering from brain injury. So welcome Amber.
Thank you so much for having me on today.
So just tell us a little bit about you and how you became interested in brain injury rehabilitation, and maybe let us know what some of those other important, I don't know if designations or is the right term or not.
I'm just amber. That's just fine. Um, well I got interested in occupational therapy when I was 11. I read about it for the first time and I knew it's what I always wanted to do when I grew up. Um, and one of my field work rotations was with Pate rehabilitation. So I had a great opportunity to work with persons with brain injury. Um, also the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology in school just excited me.
Um, but it gave me, um, so much freedom to do things that I wanted to do as an occupational therapist. So that's how I first got interested.
That's really cool. 11. That's the first person I've heard that like actually got interested in this at a young, young age, That's very cool.
Thanks.
So we know your career title is community relations manager, can you explain to us what that role consists of?
Yeah, it's so much fun. So I work with community partners, um, acute rehab, uh, hospitals, doctors, um, other community partners and help get patients with brain injury to that next level of care. So that, their care doesn't just drop off immediately after they're in the hospital. Um, I really work to get people into Pate and Rehab without Walls, which are more community-based programs and in much more natural environments for people.
Um, they're also more intense, uh, rehab than, um, some of the more traditional rehab with just more hours in the day.
Hmm.
Okay. So can you, like, we always kind of teased, you know, rehab without Walls and now y'all are part of Pate, so now you're not without walls anymore. Right. But can you, maybe
with and without walls now.
So can you kind of explain for our listeners what Rehab Without Walls is? And we'll kind of get into like the differences.
Sure. Rehab Without Walls is a national, uh, program and um, but in the DFW area, they work mostly in the home and community. So they help people transition to their natural home environment and also with community integration. Um, so we might start. You know, getting out of bed in the home environment there, which was maybe easy in the hospital, with the hospital rails and go all the way to adapted, you know, wakeboarding on Lake Grapevine.
Oh wow.
Hey yeah.
yeah, yeah.
it's, it's pretty great. Um, Pate um, is often where people start and there's kind of two components to Pate. There's what we call transitional living where people, uh, live at one of the residences, which are set up more like a home environment, like apartments or um, uh, whatnot versus feeling like a hospital environment. And then patients come toward six hours of therapy a day there.
And, um, everything is very coordinated between pt, you know, physical therapy, occupational therapy, uh, speech language pathology, case management, neuropsychology. And it's really customized based upon each person's, um, need. Um, often people progress to then staying in the home. And then just coming during the day, um, for the services there. Still that six hours of intense treatment, but transitioning more to the home environment and again, further into the community.
So even with the home therapy, you're still, you're there six hours a day. I mean, maybe not just in the home, but like out and about learning how to grocery shop and different things like.
So Pate is six hours a day. Rehab without Walls is typically between 20 and 25 hours a week of total service time. And that's also coordinated based upon everybody's needs. Um, the great thing is also we see people for a lengthy period of time. It's not just, you know, a week or two. And so as we're working with patients, we're constantly reevaluating and adapting our programs and approaches to help get people to that next level of independence and function and quality of life.
Like you said, grocery shopping and things like that. We don't think about all the difference. Skills that go into that. mobility, it's cognition, remembering your list, it's visual scanning, it's, you know, um, all kinds of different sorts of things. Yeah. So those more natural environments.
So do you, do your patients progress from being to inpatient, to outpatient to the rehab without walls?
Yes. So that's typically the way things go. Usually people are in some kind of acute rehab, right? Then they come to us at Pate, either, you know, in our transitional living with us or living at home and then rehab without walls. Now it doesn't always work that way because we wanna do what's right for the person. Um, but that's often, you know, kind of how things progress. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
So do you think it's easier to do therapy in the home versus a hospital or facility?
Oh, that's such a good question. So I've worked in acute care also. Um, the environment in acute care is very, stable. Right? Right. So you know exactly what you're going to expect and what the furniture's gonna look like and what supplies you have in the hospital. But um, patients are more medically acute there, so you're also keeping an eye on vitals and stuff in a way that you don't have to do as patients are more stable.
Right.
Um, the home is, you know, much more... well, people's homes are so different,
Right, right, right.
And so, you know, if the only option for bathing is in a garden claw tub, bathtub on a raised, you know, surface, well you gotta figure that out and be creative. So it takes a lot more creativity in the community, but there's also so much more freedom, right, to address things that are important to that person, specifically.
So what do you think is the biggest obstacle working with patients in the home setting?
The biggest obstacle for working with patients in the home setting? Um, I think sometimes it's very difficult for people who have mastered a skill in the acute setting to realize that it's not mastered in the home environment. Right, right. Because then they feel like, oh, now I'm starting to learn this skill all over again, right? Mm-hmm. But being able to transfer those skills to multiple different environments right, is what really helps the learning stick.
So I think that's the biggest challenge.
That makes a lot of sense. But as, as you asked that question, you, your face made me think about it. I'm like, I would think it would be patients like me, because I know in the acute setting, in the day, narrow setting, both. I mean, I didn't say, well, no, I did say no, I'm not gonna do that. I did it, but I'd also be like, I'm not doing this. You know? But I mean, I would do it, but I feel like at home it would be even easier to go.
Like how, so how do you keep 'em more motivated at, because like when you're in the facility, you're watching everybody else do their things and you feel a little bit, you can't like slack off. So how do you keep them more motivated at home?
Oh, that's a good question. I do love the social component of paint. They use groups very thoughtfully. Um, you know, people are put in groups for very specific purposes and um, it can be great to see different. learn and grow from each other and collaborate together, yet you're right in the home. They are by themselves, but also that's kind of gonna be the end of the road for them. So, you know, letting people know we have a limited number of time and what are your goals?
and where do we need to be, you know, to achieve those goals in this limited period of time, I think helps keep people motivated.
That makes a lot of sense.
Mm-hmm.
Um, but, so I guess one of the things we're talking about, all the services you offer to your patients, they're, they're the same rehab without walls. You're getting the same services that you get at pay. It's just a different environment or the same services you would get at any other therapy.
You've got your ot, your pt, your occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapists for our listeners, just so I kind of make sure y'all know because I'm have a bad habit of just throwing out letters, even though I don't know what hers are, I can do those.
That's great.
Yeah. Um, I think the one difference with Pate is that they're very neuropsychology. based. Um, they participate in the Faber brain injury research, and a lot of their programs are driven by the neuropsych. So that's kind of something very unique to Pate and I think it really adds a lot of value there.
But yes, your other team members, all the, the letters that you just mentioned, they're, you know, you're gonna be getting the same services that are going to be, um, specifically for what that patient's needs are. Um, and one thing that I like about both Pate and Rehab Without Walls is the true collaboration that goes in between those disciplines. So those disciplines really. closely together. Um, which I love.
Yeah. Uh, we've had a couple of speech therapists on, and so we know that they've kind of gone through that too, how they do that together.
Mm-hmm.
Well, uh, if you like what you're hearing on these podcasts, please like and share. Uh, we can be found on all of the platforms. Uh, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Um, and we're just so glad that you're here and, and joining us today. So back to, um, how could caregivers and survivors decide that home and community rehab is right for them?
Okay, this is a really important question. A lot of people are not even aware of the home and community rehab. You know, like, uh, they go to the acute rehab and then that's it. And persons with brain injury often just need more time, more intensity. So I think as soon as a person is medically stable, you know, um, if they're not medically stable, they're really not appropriate for our programs right? They need more nursing and physician care.
Um, but once they're medically stable and they have a tolerance for that high level of therapy where they really can work, and, and it's not that we, you know, or drill sergeants or anything like that. We take breaks and, and things like that. But, um, but if, if people are able to tolerate that intensity of therapy, then I would say move to that next level so that you can really, you know, launch your rehab.
I know that when I was in therapy, I, um, I kind of felt like, um, I, they would push me to do things that I just didn't think I could do. So in the home setting, do you have family members? Think that you're pushing the patients too hard and is that a issue ever?
Okay, so incorporating the family is a critical component because that's an essential part of a person's natural environment, right? And everybody, I mean, yes, I'm an occupational therapist and this may be a familiar thing for me, but it's very unfamiliar to the family and different families have different cultures and priorities and goals and how much they wanna be involved or how little they wanna be involved, right?
But they're an integral part of who we are and, and we definitely try to address the entire family as well, um, for some patient. who won't be completely independent in the home environment. There's a lot of family and caregiver training, like if there's hired caregivers as well, so that they're going to be able to continue to live their best lives after we step out.
Oh, wow.
Yeah. That that's good. Yeah, because I know for me, I mean we were talking about the intensive therapy, and that's one thing I think a lot of our listeners may not understand about brain injuries, but it's. When we're doing occupational therapy or physical therapy, our brain is working on overload. I mean, our brain is still working for all those things and our brain, uh, doesn't get to rest till we like go to sleep and rest.
So there, I mean, I remember those days when I did day neuro yeah, I was there six hours and I would come home and just, you'd have to take a nap.
Yeah, yeah.
Absolutely. That is, I mean, it's an incredible amount of work, both physically and cognitively, you know, for some people visually. Um, it's an incredible amount of work and I just admire the strength and resilience of our patients. You know, some people have had to tolerate working with me more than a hundred hours, you know, But you know, it's some of those patient. That went from, you know, being in a wheelchair and a helmet. Mm-hmm.
to, you know, inviting me years down the road to their wedding. You know, that just really, really are, you know, and have gone back to work and driving and everything. Um,
Getting to see, that's one of the nice things I think about rehab without walls and paint is y'all get to see the patients later down the road where in the inpatient and acute, you don't really ever go back and get to see those therapists like I have. I'm lucky enough that because of BIND, some of those therapists have been volunteering for BIND for years as well. One of them actually works for Pate now, or rehab with out walls. Um, my occupational therapist from day one.
Oh, that's so great. So
I still keep in touch, but so that's great.
I'm so glad you keep in touch with her because that just makes therapists heart happy when we see people being successful. Yeah, That's
Speaking to all that, so how did you personally hear about BIND?
Oh, so I hadn't heard about BIND until I was an occupational therapist with Rehab Without Walls, and I had only been to the Fort Worth location a couple of times, and I was just so impressed that. you know, the Clubhouse model is all participant driven, and that's something that OTs believe in heavily.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Um, and every time I brought, um, a patient to come tour the facility, um, they were given a tour. They were just welcomed with open arms and they were made to feel included and special, and I just loved the whole atmosphere of it. And then I just recently have been to the Plano, um, BIND Because you had that great open house, that
Oh, the Fort Worth?
Yeah, I was at the, I had seen the Fort Worth one before.
Oh,
Uhhuh. But I had never been to this one until you had your community open house A couple months. Or like a month ago. Yeah, a month Yeah. And it was great. And I just love to see, I, they're very different, uh, models because the participants are interested in different things. Sure. And so, Kezia gave me the most wonderful tour, and I think I peppered her with a hundred questions. And it was, it was wonderful.
And she got you here today
and she did get me did here
That's great. We're, and we're so glad
today.
Oh, I'm so glad to hear. Um, what is the one thing you would like to make sure our listeners know about brain injury or treatment of a brain injury?
I hope that persons with brain injury realize that they can direct their own care. that they can state goals that they want, that are important to them and expect a rehab team to respond to that. Okay. I think that, you know, directing what you want for your life is, is critically important because no one else knows what, um, What is quality of life for a person. Right. That's different for every person.
Sure. And so just directing what you want out of your rehab experience, I think is really, important.
I think that's key, what you just said there too, is that I, I think a lot of brain injured survivors don't hear that message early enough in their therapy, in their recovery. But yeah, it's definitely, it's, we need to be advocates for ourselves. It's, it's our therapy. We need to be the driving force in what we wanna accomplish and what we wanna do. Y'all aren't gonna tell us what we need to do. We need to tell y'all what we wanna do, and then you'll tell us how to do it. Right.
Yeah, that's so well said. Absolutely. Yes.
Awesome. Well, I'm Amber. We are so glad that you were here today and we've had fun having you here. So just if you would like to, we will share these in our show notes as well. But if people would like to contact you to learn more about rehab with wa without walls and or pate, how can they do that?
Um, feel free to email me directly at Amber dot richardson, rehab without walls.com. Um, and definitely take a look at our websites, uh, www.pate rehab.com, or www.rehabwithoutwalls.com.
Awesome. And do y'all have Facebook pages too?
Maybe, maybe we are. Actually we do. Okay. But we are just launching our social media campaign, so there's not much on them, I'll be honest.
Okay, that's fair. We'll, we'll keep that out. But again, thank you so much for joining us, Amber. And thanks to all of you for listening. Again, all of Amber's information will be listed in our show notes, so thank you very much Amber.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thank you. If you would like to contact us, you can email us at bind waves@thebind.org bind waves and visit our website, the bind dot orgs slash. BR bind waves. We have our own Instagram now, so please follow at bind waves. And, uh, just remember to subscribe to all of those, those podcasts. Sure.
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um, every Thursday you could find our new episodes on all your favorite platforms.
So again, thanks for listening and until next time.