Case Management

At Meridian Rehab our Occupational Therapists may work in the role of case manager. A case manager is normally hired by a third party payer to oversee the continuum of therapy as a client recovers from an injury. The funder hires a case manager for the following reasons:

To ensure that the case moves forward efficiently and effectively.
To provide them with advice about what to do (what to fund, who to hire, what is no longer necessary etc.)
To act as a liaison between themselves and the rest of the rehab or medical team.

OTs often work in the role of case managers because of the focus on function. OTs have a “whole picture” view of people, and this is a strength used when working in this role. The OT/case manager will do the following:

Assess the functional abilities and limitations of a client
Set functional goals with the client
Recommend services, equipment, and therapies to achieve the functional goal
Through functional re-assessments, ensure progress towards the goals
Provide updates on progress to the funder
Make recommendations to the funder about changes to services, therapies, and equipment as appropriate
Determine when functional goals have been met
Recommend discharge in a timely manner