The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 40 No. 4 - Disability Assessments

Rehabilitation and Coping with Disabilities in Adults

Peter AC Lim
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 40 No 4 - Disability Assessments
16 - 23
1 October 2014
0377-5305
The ultimate goal of Rehabilitation is for optimal functioning and independence of the patient. This includes the physical, psychological, social, educational, vocational, and recreational abilities and participation. It is holistic in nature and addresses restoration where possible or compensation where necessary. Rehabilitation Medicine is the medical field specialising in care of patients with disabling disease or injury. The person with disabilities has to cope with many changes including physical, psychological and cognitive. They go through an adjustment or crisis coping process, and there are various strategies and philosophies that help with healthy coping. An understanding of the options and processes involved in rehabilitation, as well as how patients cope with adversity, is important to the family practitioner as the aging of Singapore will result in increasing numbers of patients presenting with disabilities needing more than simply medicines.