ENSURING THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO LOST THEIR VISION AS A RESULT OF HOSTILITIES

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical overview of current approaches to the rehabilitation of military personnel who have suffered partial or complete loss of vision as a result of combat operations. Damage to the organ of vision as a result of the use of various types of weapons is one of the first among all combat injuries, which leads to further disability of both military and civilians. Objective – to present the experience of the educational and rehabilitation center “Trinity Hub” in Kyiv in providing rehabilitation assistance to military personnel who have suffered visual impairment as a result of hostilities; to identify the main tasks and characterize the activities of specialists in the process of implementing the rehabilitation program “Reboot”. Materials. The study used the analysis, generalization and synthesis of the results obtained from the study of scientific and methodological literature and the study of the experience of specialists in the provision of rehabilitation services at the Trinity Hub Educational and Rehabilitation Center. Results. The results of the theoretical study showed that rehabilitation for visual impairment is considered as an interdisciplinary continuous process. Specialists in the fields of health care (ophthalmologists, optometrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and other specialists), education (tyflopedagogues, instructors in spatial orientation and mobility, rehabilitation teachers and others), and social work are involved in the development and implementation of an individual rehabilitation program. The main areas of rehabilitation services at the Trinity Hub Educational and Rehabilitation Center in the process of implementing the rehabilitation program “Reboot” with military personnel who lost their vision as a result of hostilities were identified: psychological support; life skills training; training in spatial orientation and mobility; Braille training; digital skills training (non-visual use of sensory devices by people with profound visual impairments); physical therapy. The basic principles of providing rehabilitation services to military personnel with partial and complete vision loss are defined: personality-oriented approach, interdisciplinary approach, corrective orientation of rehabilitation processes; motivation to undergo rehabilitation; creating an atmosphere of comfort and mutual assistance; practical orientation of the rehabilitation process; the principle of “equal to equal”. Conclusions. The findings emphasize the need to involve both medical and non-medical specialists in the rehabilitation of persons with visual impairments. This approach will ensure maximum restoration of functional capacity and improve the quality of life of military personnel who have suffered visual impairment as a result of combat operations.