Major Challenges Of Injured Workers
When it comes to a workplace injury, one will normally automatically think of a physical injury, the businesses legal liability and finally the workers compensation claim. With that said, it is important to realize that a physical injury is not only the injury itself. There may also be emotional pain, interruption to daily activities, ongoing medical treatment, multi-faceted adjustments related to the healing process and other serious life changes caused by the physical injury. Everyday task such as walking, getting dressed, cooking or eating, driving and working can be affected. This can also cause large amount of stress and demand on other members of the family as well as major challenges for individuals who have limited support and resources.
Many injured workers are left in a state of frustration, uncertainty and even depressive states. The untreated and unnoticed are the results of the psychological effects of an injury. For example, when individual sustaining a rotator cuff tear in their dominant arm and is living alone, the adjustment period of being disable can effect minds in various way. In addition of having further concerns of the uncertainty of a full recovery or even of a permanent injury, or having to return to ones job for a specific timeframe. Furthermore, many injured workers are affected in ways that go beyond the policy benefits. Many daily activities which are supposed to enrich one life, for instance drive their children to or from school and other activities or holding their grandchildren, are taken away from them. Thus leaving them with non physical injuries, such as a variety of depressions disorders. According too studies, three months after an injury occurs is when workers who offer from workplace injuries have the highest chance of developing depression.
The post-injury depression coupled with the original physical injury can delay the return to work, can prolong recovery time as well as enable the workers in recovering the functions and activity level post injury. While the compensation that workers compensations provides will help an injured employee receive the medical treatment that they need, it doesn’t necessarily address all the far-reaching effects that an injury has on their life. An individual’s age, lifestyles, genetics, means of help, physical and mental health, family dynamics and more, are all psychological effects that can be added to the peripheral factors that impact on how the workers’ compensations claims will be handled. With that said, because family doctor or emergency rooms cannot diagnosis psychological components, the responsibility fall on the claims handler. The claims department priority concerned are with issues pertaining to legal liability and loss. When it comes to dealing with the symptoms and the impact of post-injury psychological issues a claim handler needs to keep the effect of depression and other similar issues in mind.
The impact of an undiagnosed, untreated or unaddressed post-injury can cause complications to the claims handling. It is important for claim handler to maintain sensitivity and compassion, as well as offer support for injuries workers who are confronting their new challenges.
