Peer Support offers Westcoast Brace & Limb patients the unique perspective that only personal experience can provide.

Our Peer Support Network is comprised of Westcoast Brace & Limb patients who are living with significant and chronic medical conditions. These individuals are personally motivated to provide emotional support to others who are experiencing similar circumstances. This one-on-one support is accomplished through individual Peer Visitation.

Peer Visitation is available for any individual experiencing a significant and chronic condition. Peer Visitation is a free service provided by Westcoast Brace & Limb.

Amputee Peer Visitation

• Who is an Amputee Peer Visitor?
• An Amputee Peer Visitor is a person who has experienced limb loss, has successfully completed post-surgery rehabilitation, and has been trained in peer visitation protocol.
• Westcoast Brace & Limb attempts to match up the Amputee Peer Visitor and the individual requesting support based on many factors, including gender, age, level of limb loss, and cause of amputation.
• Who can benefit from an Amputee Peer Visit?
• A person who is scheduled for surgery that will result in limb loss
• A person who has recently undergone surgery resulting in limb loss
• A person who has, in the past, undergone surgery resulting in limb loss and is seeking peer support
• Friends, family members, and caregivers of an individual living with limb loss

Other Peer Visitation Requests

Aside from limb loss, there are many other situations where a Peer Visitation might be beneficial. Examples include patients with scoliosis, neuromuscular conditions, or paralysis.

Through Westcoast Brace & Limb’s Peer Support Network, parents of children living with extensive care needs can reach out to other families who have ‘been there’.

Peer Visitation Frequently Asked Questions:

• Who can initiate a Peer Visit request?
• The person experiencing the significant and chronic condition
• Friends, family members & caretakers
• Physicians & nurses
• Hospital/facility staff
• Therapists
• Case managers
• Any other member of the rehabilitation team
• Where do Peer Visits occur?
• At neutral locations, such as a medical facility
• Via Telephone
• Via Email

To initiate Peer Visit or to get in touch with someone in Westcoast Brace & Limb’s Peer Support Network, please contact:

Amputees Together of Florida, Inc.

Amputee Community Networking Meetings
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We encourage our patients to be active participants in our community. That’s why Westcoast Brace & Limb created Amputees Together of Florida, Inc., which hosts monthly amputee community networking meetings in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Together, members also enjoy outside activities, such as ‘bowling night’ and museum tours.

Founded by Westcoast Brace & Limb in the 1980s as Amputees Together, an amputee support group, the organization has flourished into the Bay area’s leading amputee network.

In 2010, Amputees Together of Florida Inc. gained official status as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. With its 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status, the organization achieved independence and extended its reach to the entire limb loss community.

Amputees Together of Florida, Inc.’s network consists of individuals living with upper and/or lower extremity limb loss, their family and friends, and interested healthcare professionals. They are a close network of friends who share at least one important thing in common: the experience of limb loss.

Amputees Together of Florida, Inc.’s mission is to provide peer support, education, and advocacy, to all people affected by limb loss.

Their vision is to create opportunities for members of the Tampa Bay area limb loss community to:
• Connect with peers
• Locate supportive networks
• Obtain and maintain tools required for independent living and self sufficiency
• Gain the knowledge required to be active participants in their health plans
• Promote local and national awareness of amputee-related issues, including disease prevention and health maintenance

Meetings are held monthly in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. There is no charge to attend meetings.
For meeting details, contact: