Supportive Services For Individuals With Prosthetics
Prosthetic eyes, noses, and maxillofacial parts can greatly improve the quality of life for individuals who have lost these body parts due to injury, illness, or congenital conditions. However, adjusting to life with a prosthetic can be a challenging and emotional process. In order to help individuals successfully integrate their prosthetic into their daily lives, Providing Prosthetics aims to be a bridge to open a range of supportive services to those in need.
One important aspect of supportive care for individuals with a prosthetic eye is ensuring proper fit and functionality of the prosthetic. This may involve regular visits to an Ocularist, who is a specialist in fitting and adjusting prosthetic eyes. An Ocularist can also provide advice on how to care for the prosthetic and maintain its appearance. Many patients who are elderly simple do not have a way of transport to and from these appointments. Because of the small field that Ocularistry is, there is sometimes only one Ocularist in each state. This leaves many patients driving hours to get to their appointments. Appointments to make a prosthetic can sometimes take several visits.
Individuals with prosthetic noses may also need to see a specialist, such as a plastic or reconstructive surgeon, to ensure proper fit and function of the prosthetic. They may also benefit from counseling or support groups to help them adjust emotionally to life with a prosthetic nose, eye, or ear. Providing Prosthetics would be able to provide a bridge for these clients to receive supportive services. Whether this looks like counseling, group support, or camps for children to feel supported and not alone, our approach is that we have something readily available for everyone.
Maxillofacial prosthetics, which include prosthetic noses, ears, jaws, cheeks, and other facial structures, can be especially complex and may require the expertise of a team of specialists, including Anaplastologists, plastic surgeons, dental surgeons, and speech therapists. These specialists can work together to design and fit a prosthetic that looks and functions as closely as possible to the individual's natural facial structure. This takes a lot of team work from the doctors and specialists involved. Providing Prosthetics aims to make it easier for these connections to take place to ease the process for patients and families.
In addition to medical and surgical support, there are a range of other supportive services that can help individuals with prosthetic eyes, noses, and maxillofacial parts. These may include physical and occupational therapy to help individuals learn how to use their prosthetic and regain as much functionality as possible. Social workers and counselors can also provide emotional support and help individuals and their families cope with the emotional and social aspects of living with a prosthetic. Many times, patients are not able to receive this support due to financial concerns and insurance not covering the cost as “necessary.”
Overall, having a prosthetic eye, nose, or maxillofacial part can be a major change in one's life, but we are here to build a wide range of supportive services available to help individuals successfully adjust to their new reality. With the right care and support, individuals can learn to live with their prosthetic and regain as much functionality and quality of life as possible.