Amplifying the Voices of Patients Living With Disability: Valerie Beuschlein

In this episode of the PTA+ Podcast, Katie interviews Valerie Bueschlein, a Physical Therapist Assistant working in outpatient neurological rehabilitation who also serves as a spinal cord injury caregiver and patient advocate.Valerie shares the deeply personal story of her husband’s catastrophic injury and how it reshaped her understanding of rehabilitation, caregiving, and advocacy.Through that experience she learned that injuries affect far more than the patient — they impact caregivers, families, and entire communities.That perspective led her to co-create the “You’re Not Alone Podcast: Understanding Life With a Disability,” a platform that allows people recovering from neurological injury to share their stories and support others navigating a new normal.In this episode we explore:The caregiver perspective in rehabilitationWhy PTAs must understand life outside the clinicThe creation of the You're Not Alone PodcastGiving a voice to people living with disabilityThe importance of community support after injuryThis conversation is an important reminder for Physical Therapist Assistants and rehab clinicians that true patient-centered care includes caregivers, families, and lived experience.Subscribe & Follow (PTA+)Website: https://www.ptapluspodcast.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ptapluspodcast/videosInstagram (show): https://www.instagram.com/pta_plus/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/PTA-Podcast-100093326902910/LinkedIn (Katie Sutton): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-sutton-0725Special Thanks to:Thanks to US Physical Therapy for hosting PTA+ at CSM.MedBridge users: Visit ptapluspodcast.com for your exclusive discount code: PTAPLUS