Community Based Rehabilitation, 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.

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.
• 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 at home.

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.