Electrical Injury Program
St. John's Rehab is the site of Canada's only dedicated electrical injury rehabilitation program. Our highly skilled rehabilitation professionals work with patients and their families to offer customized comprehensive assessment and care to people who have been living with the adverse, often invisible, effects of electrical injuries.
Clients will benefit from our capability to recognize the early symptoms of these injuries, being better equipped to minimize their long-term effects. Our interprofessional team approach will help clients regain their independence in work, daily life, mobility, leisure, and social roles.
To provide the best possible care at all stages of recovery, St. John's Rehab has partnered with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the only two hospitals in Canada currently publishing research on electrical injuries. People from across the country have been assessed and treated for these injuries since the Electrical Injury Program began in 2003.
What are the invisible effects of an electrical injury?
Not all electrical injuries are immediately visible with a burn or trauma-related injury, but rather can affect invisible functions including productivity, memory, and the capability to do daily tasks.
The delayed appearance of symptoms can be confusing to both the patients and to other healthcare providers.
Our team of specialists can recognize the early symptoms of these injuries, offering timely diagnosis and treatment in an attempt to minimize long-term effects.
According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, 600 to 800 people experience workplace electrical accidents annually. With the right care, these people can recover from these complex and often invisible electrical injuries and successfully return to work, their communities, and their lives.
How can we help?
Our interprofessional health care team works with patients and their families to promote independence through education, support, and customized care, including:
- Early identification of implicated functions for a faster, more successful recovery
- Energy conservation training
- Pain management
- Cognitive strengthening
- Medication and nutrition education
- Customized exercise program for prolonged mobility and optimal cardiac and respiratory function
- Individualized psychosocial counselling and support
- Stress management therapy
- Telemedicine technology for timely and convenient follow-up care with specialists
Clients also have access to complementary forms of therapy such as chiropody, chiropractic, acupuncture, and aquatic massage. All services are uniquely located in an accredited hospital setting.
As part of our Back on Track program, the Electrical Injury Program uses best-practice techniques throughout the rehabilitation process, including:
- Multi-dimensional assessments and treatment
- Goal-oriented client and team collaboration
- Continuous outcome monitoring
- Regular feedback and reporting to referral sources
Our individualized, active program is focused on improving function, endurance, and managing activities of daily living so that clients can return to work, their communities, and their lives.
Patient stories:
- A patient's story: Recovering from a shock to the system
- Rene’s victory: getting a charge out of life
- Meet Ken, Lead Hand Maintenance at a long-term care facility and electrical injury survivor
For more information, please e-mail us at info@stjohnsrehab.com or call 416-224-6949.