A journey of rehabilitation after a road tragedy
Ronny’s resolve would prove important in his recovery with occupational therapy.
Road Victim Month organisers are advocating for a change in terminology regarding road incidents. They aim to replace the term ‘accident’ with ‘crash’ to reflect the nature of these events more accurately, and to avoid diminishing the experiences of those affected.
The word 'accident' can make it seem as though no one was responsible, while 'crash' states what happened without ignoring that preventative measures should have been taken. (1)
It only takes a moment...
Ronny had been an active member of a well-known biker organization. He described himself as unconventional. He favoured craft activities to make money and would undertake short-term labourer contracts if income was limited. He was family orientated and driven.
But all those things came to a halt after the crash.
He had been filtering through a traffic jam on his motorbike. Ronny must’ve felt confident that everyone else around him knew the rules of the road, that everyone understood the non-negotiables of road safety.
Sadly, he was wrong.
In a sudden move to escape the queue, a driver ahead failed to check their mirrors and pulled out to do a three-point-turn. There was no time for Ronny to stop.
The collision left him with a significant brain injury which, by the time Krysalis was called in six years later, was impacting his personal wellbeing and engagement with others.
Clinically, Ronny presented with difficulties with memory and attention, and his planning, problem-solving and decision-making were poor. He also suffered with fatigue.
And another thing, Ronny struggled to accept help in any form.
The Road to Recovery
So, there were a plethora of challenges both Ronny and our Neuro Occupational Therapist faced, and here’s what they discovered when they worked together…
Changes post-injury: Ronny’s self-view changed after his injury; he valued independence but could not work, affecting his ability to provide for his family.
Impact on activities: His injury prevented him from participating in leisure activities like motorbike riding and handyman work, which he previously enjoyed.
Core values: Family values shaped Ronny’s beliefs, emphasising self-reliance, independence, and non-conformity.
Challenges at home: Ronny struggled with practical tasks, organisation, and self-management at home, often procrastinating and ignoring tasks he felt like he could not complete.
Anxiety in public: He experienced high anxiety in busy and noisy public spaces. His anxiety also made him defensive against accepting help, using his unconventional lifestyle as a barrier.
Family and relationships: Despite separating from his wife, maintaining close relationships with her and his daughters was important to him.
Self-assessment: Ronny felt he lacked the skills needed to support himself and manage daily challenges.
Knowing all of this, our Occupational Therapist aimed to see the world through Ronny’s eyes, recognizing that motivation was key to engaging in activities and their rehabilitation plan.
She applied a multi-faceted approach, but one based on the motivational and environmental aspects of Ronny’s life. She had taken the time to affirm Ronny’s self-perception, including his strong held beliefs about himself and how he lived his life prior to the brain injury.
Occupational Therapists are unique in the way they view human function. They understand the dynamic relationship between human response to activity and the impact of the physical and social environment. 
Krysalis Clinical Director, Jo Throp
Rehabilitation, No Longer Taking a Backseat
Now she was ready to present a five-pronged plan to him in which activity – the Occupational Therapist’s key tool – was intrinsic.
Our Neuro Occupational Therapist unravelled Ronny’s rehabilitation needs and narrowed them down to five manageable points:
1. Education: an avenue to explore Ronny’s strengths and reflect on areas of weakness, and to empower him with knowledge about his condition and a greater acceptance of some of his limitations.
2. Coping strategies: Ronny was introduced to approaches at a pace he could accept and were graded so that he could have ownership in making some practical changes.
3. Activities: these needed to…
- Challenge Ronny’s physical and cognitive abilities.
- Provide opportunities for him to demonstrate his capabilities.
- Enable him to learn and develop self-awareness by reflecting on where barriers occurred.
4. Values: Acknowledge his value and belief systems, but also challenge misunderstanding or thinking that prevented him from moving forward.
5. Experiences: Present new and revisit old experiences relating to Ronny’s past and values in settings that could also involve his support team, creating a shift in the focus of control.
Together with Ronny, our Neuro Occupational Therapist explored how the physical and cultural environment was feeding into Ronny’s ever-evolving experience of his day-to-day life.
Ronny’s involvement in the rehabilitation process and, thereby, day-to-day activities were, as a result, radically altered.
When prevention was not an option, the cure to a road crash presented itself in Ronny’s resilience and rehabilitation; surviving a crash and obtaining a brain injury wasn’t the end of the road, but a turning point where support and rehabilitation illuminated the path to a new beginning.
It is about recognising who our clients really are and what they could be and should be.
Krysalis Clinical Director, Jo Throp
Recently on talking heads
References
(1) YouTube (2024)NPPC policing lead calls the word ‘accident’ to be scrapped.Available at: PrimaFocus UK V42 16x9 Vo1 (youtube.com)