The Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented the Amputee Coalition’s Amputee Resilience Program to improve and enhance the recovery and readjustment of more than 41,000 veterans with limb loss. The program is being implemented throughout the VA’s Amputation System of Care, according to a press release.
The program has been integrated into the Department of Defense’s support for wounded veterans as well as to the Wounded Warrior Project, and includes training for caregivers and peer visitors of veterans with limb loss. In addition, the VA will launch the Promoting Amputee Life Skills program, a self-management program designed to speed readjustment and management of issues such as pain.
“Losing a limb can be emotionally devastating,” Cindy Poorman, rehabilitation planning specialist at the VA, said in the release. “New amputees often feel overwhelmed and isolated and wonder what the future holds. This program offers them and their families support, information and education that can empower them to move forward, regain hope and live well with limb loss.”
