Community Based Rehabilitation and Health, Kazakhstan

Through rehabilitation using Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT), people with disabilities (PWD) are able to live up to their full potential. Therapists help people in different stages of life to participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. Early intervention with children of 0 – 3 months is essential for the development of the child.

Training and partnering with those that work with PWDs is necessary for effective rehabilitation and therapy, which restores a person to their previous way of life or improves their independence and worth and gives them value. It is also an effective way to empower others and assist in getting care to those who need it. Through this, PWD can live to their full potential, which is often overlooked, and they miss out on the possibilities that are available to them – like walking again or walking independently.

Disability is often seen as a curse on the family and brings with it shame and isolation. There is a real need for local care givers and community members to be trained to properly care for those with disabilities with kindness and compassion as well as to be given encouragement in their situations and hope for the future.

There is also a need for education of parents in typical development from a medical and rehabilitation perspective of children as well as partnering with medical hospitals for education and assistance.

Operation Mercy is partnering with existing institutions, community projects, local NGOs, and individuals who are providing care for children and adults with illness and disabilities through providing basic OT and PT therapy, and training for caregivers and community members. This is done through home visits, therapy at our office, and teaching the caregivers basic skills so that they can follow a home programme which is created specifically for the PWD/CWD. If needed, caregivers are advised on assistive devices and we help families to acquire the correct equipment.

Our team also works with people with health issues, referring to any health difficulties, musculoskeletal movement difficulties, injury and post operative needing physiotherapy intervention, and families with children of a young age who need consultation on prevention and treatment of health concerns.

We also recognize that training of doctors and rehabilitation specialists is essential in meeting the needs of children with health difficulties, children with disabilities, and adults with musculoskeletal difficulties.

Operation Mercy's Community Based Rehabilitation project aims to increase capacity and quality of life through:

• Teaching new skills (physical, cognitive, behavioural or emotional).
• Adapting or modifying the task or the home/work environment.
• Educating parents and families.
• Giving therapy to clients with health issues, injuries or post operatively.
• Providing adaptive equipment for greater independence.
• Working with existing institutions and community projects to give hope and increase capacity among the people that they work with.
• Training local care givers and community members to properly care for those with disabilities, health difficulties, or musculoskeletal difficulties.